tenacity

noun

te·​nac·​i·​ty tə-ˈna-sə-tē 

: the quality or state of being tenacious

Choose the Right Synonym for tenacity

courage, mettle, spirit, resolution, tenacity mean mental or moral strength to resist opposition, danger, or hardship.

courage implies firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty.

the courage to support unpopular causes

mettle suggests an ingrained capacity for meeting strain or difficulty with fortitude and resilience.

a challenge that will test your mettle

spirit also suggests a quality of temperament enabling one to hold one's own or keep up one's morale when opposed or threatened.

her spirit was unbroken by failure

resolution stresses firm determination to achieve one's ends.

the resolution of pioneer women

tenacity adds to resolution implications of stubborn persistence and unwillingness to admit defeat.

held to their beliefs with great tenacity

Examples of tenacity in a Sentence

If there is a particular tenacity in Islamist forms of terrorism today, this is a product not of Islamic scripture but of the current historical circumstance that many Muslims live in places of intense political conflict. —Max Rodenbeck, New York Book Review, 30 Nov. 2006

… everything about a person, even the most blameless of facts, can have the sticky tenacity of a secret. —Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2002

A tribute to tenacity, the free ascent of Trango Tower was the fulfillment of a cowboy climber's dream. —Todd Skinner, National Geographic, April 1996

Recent Examples on the Web

By challenging participants in ways that mimic the trials of the real world, these entrepreneurs will gain the tenacity to push through setbacks at the end of the program. —Daniel Fusch, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025

Regardless, a wide receiver with some real tenacity and usefulness over the middle could go a long way. —Derrik Klassen, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025

And while Wright brings defensive tenacity, his addition doesn’t necessarily address New York’s most pressing issue: a lack of size on the wings beyond starters OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. Josh Hart, a tenacious rebounder, is still just 6-4. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2025

Her mix of tenacity and joy endears her to coaches, teammates and fans. —Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tenacite, borrowed from Middle French tenacité, borrowed from Latin tenācitāt-, tenācitās, from tenāc-, tenāx "holding fast, tenacious" + -itāt- -itās -ity

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

tenacity

noun

te·​nac·​i·​ty tə-ˈnas-ət-ē 

: the quality or state of being tenacious