Definition Definition

tenacious - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'tenacious' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Tenacious [ a.]
- Holding fast, or inclined to hold fast; inclined to retain what is in possession; as, men tenacious of their just rights.
- Apt to retain; retentive; as, a tenacious memory.
- Having parts apt to adhere to each other; cohesive; tough; as, steel is a tenacious metal; tar is more tenacious than oil.
- Apt to adhere to another substance; glutinous; viscous; sticking; adhesive.
- Niggardly; closefisted; miserly.
- Holding stoutly to one's opinion or purpose; obstinate; stubborn.

Meaning of 'tenacious' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . tenacious [ a]
Meaning (1):
- good at remembering
Example in sentence:
  • a retentive mind;
  • tenacious memory
2 . tenacious [ s]
Meaning (2):
- stubbornly unyielding
Example in sentence:
  • a mind not gifted to discover truth but tenacious to hold it;
  • dogged persistence;
  • dour determination;
  • men tenacious of opinion;
  • the most vocal and pertinacious of all the critics
Meaning (3):
- sticking together
Example in sentence:
  • tenacious burrs;
  • two coherent sheets