Dictionary

tenacious en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• audio Queensland
• /təˈnæɪʃəs/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /təˈneɪʃəs/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Latin tenāx (“holding fast, clinging”), from tenēre (“to hold”), + -ious.

Meanings

1. Clinging to an object or surface; adhesive.
2. Unwilling to yield or give up; dogged.
3. Holding together; cohesive.
   • The quagmiry road, trodden into tenacious paste by the long file of human beings ahead […] 1873, Henry Morton Stanley, My Kalulu, Prince, King, and Slave:
4. Having a good memory; retentive.

Forms

Deriveds

overtenacious · untenacious

Relateds

tenaciously · tenacity · tenaciousness

Synonyms

coherent (holding together) · clingsome (clinging to an object or surface) · elephantlike (having a good memory) · pigheaded (unwilling to yield or give up) · sticky · steadfast · memorious

Translations (127)

uk чіпкий (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · ru це́пкий (having a good memory; retentive) · nl hardnekkig (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · sv fasthållande (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · su keukeuh (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · la tenax (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · fi sitkeä (holding together; cohesive) · mk жи́лав (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · sv orubblig (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · tr bildiğinden şaşmaz (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · mi aumangeo (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · pt aderente (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · ru упря́мый (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · sv säker (having a good memory; retentive) · fi itsepintainen (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · az yapışan (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · ru вя́зкий (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · tr inatçı (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · is haldgóður (holding together; cohesive) · mi urupū (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · mi aumangea (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · pl trwały (having a good memory; retentive) · eo tenaca (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · es aferrado (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · mk твр́доглав (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · de fest haftend (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · ja 頑強な (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · uk наполегливий (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · pl uparty (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · km ស៊ូ (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · ru ли́пкий (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · is fastheldinn (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · de zusammenhaftend (holding together; cohesive) · cs soudržný (holding together; cohesive) · sv seg (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · la tenax (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · de klebrig (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · hy հաստատակամ (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · hu elszánt (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · de zäh (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · sv klibbig (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · sv fast (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · el πεισματάρης (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · hy կպչուն (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · az inadkar (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · sv seglivad (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · az yapışqan (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · hu szívós (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · az tərs (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · sv ståndaktig (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · az kəc (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · ru упо́рный (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · mg mahatadidy betsaka (having a good memory; retentive) · is þrár (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · pl lepki (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · uk непоступливий (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · is minnisgóður (having a good memory; retentive) · de hartnäckig (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · cs houževnatý (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · ru кре́пкий (having a good memory; retentive) · gl tenaz (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · fi tarrautuva (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · sv hårdnackad (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · cs neústupný (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · tr yapışkan (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · sv ihärdig (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · tr sıkıca tutan (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · fi itsepäinen (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · he עיקש (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · fi luja (holding together; cohesive) · cs vytrvalý (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · bg упорит (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · hy համառ (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · pt teimoso (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · fi hyvämuistinen (having a good memory; retentive) · tr dik kafalı (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · fi tarttuva (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · ca tenaç (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · sv fast (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · ru насто́йчивый (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · gl teimudo (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · uk впертий (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · eo tenaca (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · pl spójny (holding together; cohesive) · pl zwarty (holding together; cohesive) · id ngotot (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · is ötull (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · hu kitartó (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · hy կառչուն (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · es tenaz (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · pl spoisty (holding together; cohesive) · ota یاپشقان (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · hu állhatatos (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · pl zawzięty (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · nb hardnakket (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · nb urokkelig (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · mi rae pakari (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · de festklebend (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · hu makacs (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · pt tenaz (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · sv seg (holding together; cohesive) · ru кле́йкий (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · is þolgóður (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · fr tenace (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · gl porfiado (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · hy բռնունակ (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · ota یاپشقان (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · sv fasthängande (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · az özlü (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · bg лепкав (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · pl wytrwały (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · mnc ᡶᡳᠯᡳ (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · pt porfiado (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · mk у́порен (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · es tesonero (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · cmn 頑強 /顽强 (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · hy ուժեղ (having a good memory; retentive) · gl releón (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · ga greamúsach (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · uk липкий (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · mk ле́плив (clinging to an object or surface; adhesive) · ru связующий (holding together; cohesive) · fi sinnikäs (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · fi sitkeä (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · de beharrlich (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · pt tenaz (unwilling to yield from a point of view etc; dogged) · de gedächtnisstark (having a good memory; retentive)