Make Your Point: TENACIOUS

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pronounce TENACIOUS:

tuh NAY shuss

connect this word to others:

I can't help but giggle when I see the word tenacious, as it makes me think of Tenacious D, the comedy rock group with Jack Black. (The ones who sing "This is the greatest and best song in the world…tribute.") In case you were curious, the group's name comes from a phrase in basketball sportscasting: "tenacious defense," which describes both the mindset and the execution of a relentless, powerful defense on the court.

And that's "tenacious" for you: relentless, powerful, knowing what you want, and working hard to get it and keep it.

The word tenacious belongs to a family of words that derive from the Latin tenere, "to hold." See if you can recall these other members of the tenere family:

1. Things that can stick around or keep going—usually because they're logical, reasonable, or practical—are ten____.

2. To avoid something or stop yourself from doing it or having it, as if you're holding it away from yourself, is to ___tain from it.

3. A piece of wood or other material that pokes out and fits perfectly into a mortise, creating a joint that holds itself tightly together, is a ten__.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

"Tenacious" traces back through French to the Latin tenacitas, meaning "the act of holding tightly to something," and further back to tenere, "to hold."

We've used it in English since the 1600s to describe things that stick or hold tightly together.

Today, "tenacious" most often describes people and things that stick firmly and strongly to their goals or their purpose.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "That's a tenacious problem;" "Her memory is tenacious."

Other forms:

The adverb is "tenaciously."

And the noun is "tenacity," pronounced "tuh NASS uh tee." Hear it here. (You could say "tenaciousness" instead, but "tenacity" is more common and, to my ears, more elegant.)

how to use it:

"Tenacious" is a common, formal word that often carries a positive tone.

Pick it when you want to emphasize someone's strength, firmness, and perseverance in the face of stress, difficulty, or opposition. In other words, to call someone tenacious is to imply that they're holding tight as certain forces try unsuccessfully to shake them.

We talk about tenacious people and their tenacious efforts: the kind that keep a firm, strong grip on their goals, never giving up. For example, a tenacious friend sticks by you, a tenacious fighter never gives up, a tenacious student studies diligently, and a tenacious elected leader constantly strives to make good on their campaign promises.

We also talk about someone having a tenacious grip on something, or a tenacious grasp of something. "White-faced, I clung tenaciously to the safety bar of the roller coaster." "He has a tenacious grip on my heart."

Although tenacity is often a good thing, it can be annoying or problematic. A tenacious hope or memory sticks firmly to our minds, for better or worse. Tenacious stains, issues, illnesses, problems, and disagreements are the kind that hold firm and refuse to let go of us or go away.

examples:

"She first tried to kill [the red ants] with a broom, then with insecticides, and finally with lye, but the next day they were back in the same place, still passing by, tenacious and invincible."
— Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude, 1967

"When Cortes's next onslaught came, the Aztecs were no longer naive and fought street by street with the utmost tenacity."
— Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, 1997

has this page helped you understand "tenacious"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "tenacious" without saying "persistent" or "relentless."

try it out:

In Cosmos, Carl Sagan wrote:

"In our own solar system there are several bodies that may be suitable for life of some sort: the Earth certainly, and perhaps Mars, Titan and Jupiter. Once life originates, it tends to be very adaptable and tenacious."

Talk about what he means: how is life tenacious? What does it grip onto?

And, just to play devil's advocate, try to dispute Sagan's point by arguing why life is delicate, not tenacious.

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for August is "Degrees of Venndom."

I'll give you a pair of terms, and you decide how Venn-diagrammable they are. It's harder than it sounds! To see my suggested answer, scroll all the way down. Your response doesn't need to match mine; you should just be able to defend yours.

Try this today: At what degree of Venndom do DRUGS and MEDICINE exist?

4th degree: these terms never overlap, like DOG and CAT.

3rd degree: these terms are nested, with one term always the other but not vice versa, like KITTEN and CAT.

2nd degree: these terms sometimes overlap, like PET and MAMMAL.

1st degree: these terms always overlap, like CAT and FELINE.

review this word:

1. The opposite of a TENACIOUS grip is

A. a TENUOUS grip: a weak, flimsy grip.
B. a RAPACIOUS grip: a greedy, violent grip.
C. an OFFICIOUS grip: a bossy, controlling grip.

2. The words "tenacious" and "tenacity" imply a strong _____, so we talk about people who _____ their goals, ideas, and habits.

A. love .. tenaciously cherish
B. hold ... cling tenaciously to
C. bite .. chomp tenaciously down on

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
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From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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