Tenuous

adjective · SAT GRE LSAT

Meaning: Very weak, slight, or thin, and easily broken (often used for a connection, argument, or claim).

Examples

The essay's link between video games and test scores is tenuous, resting on a single survey with no comparison group.
After years of conflict, the two families kept only a tenuous connection, exchanging brief cards once a year.

Synonyms:

flimsyweakshakyslight

Antonyms:

solidstrongsubstantial

It comes from Latin tenuis, "thin." A tenuous argument hangs by a thin thread.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

Critics argued that the documentary's central claim was ______, since it relied on rumors rather than verifiable records.

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lasting only a short time

deserving great respect because of age, wisdom, or long service

to become less intense, active, or widespread

a departure from what is normal or expected

existing as an idea rather than as a physical thing

to accept or admit that something exists or is true

to change in order to suit new conditions

to stick firmly to something