Synonym Chooser

How is the word tenacious different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of tenacious are stalwart, stout, strong, sturdy, and tough. While all these words mean "showing power to resist or to endure," tenacious suggests strength in seizing, retaining, clinging to, or holding together.

tenacious farmers clinging to an age-old way of life

When is it sensible to use stalwart instead of tenacious?

The words stalwart and tenacious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, stalwart suggests an unshakable dependability.

stalwart environmentalists

When might stout be a better fit than tenacious?

While in some cases nearly identical to tenacious, stout suggests an ability to endure stress, pain, or hard use without giving way.

stout hiking boots

In what contexts can strong take the place of tenacious?

In some situations, the words strong and tenacious are roughly equivalent. However, strong may imply power derived from muscular vigor, large size, structural soundness, intellectual or spiritual resources.

strong arms
the defense has a strong case

When would sturdy be a good substitute for tenacious?

The meanings of sturdy and tenacious largely overlap; however, sturdy implies strength derived from vigorous growth, determination of spirit, solidity of construction.

a sturdy table
people of sturdy independence

When is tough a more appropriate choice than tenacious?

Although the words tough and tenacious have much in common, tough implies great firmness and resiliency.

a tough political opponent

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tenacious With a heavy heart and a tenacious, versatile playing style hitting the field in 2025, Bell knows his family is with him as well. Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Feb. 2025 The Celtics couldn’t keep Jalen Brunson off the free-throw line late in the first half but otherwise used tenacious, smart defense to hold the Knicks to 48 points on 33.3 percent field goal shooting before halftime. Jay King, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025 But beneath his tenacious pursuit of superstardom lies a desperate aching need for human connection. Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2025 The names and faces change, play tenacious defense, win on the boards and bring a heavy dose of athletes who can compete against top programs that overlooked them. Andrew Keatts, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tenacious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenacious
Adjective
  • What is the economic term for persistent high inflation combined with high unemployment and stagnant demand in a country’s economy?
    Daniel Wine, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Subtle, though persistent hints of light wood smoke add complexity.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • On affected vehicles, the cant rail stainless steel panel may delaminate at the adhesive joint, which may cause the panel to separate from the vehicle.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
  • The booze, fittingly, ate through the adhesive inside the sculptures, threatening to dribble out.
    Zoë Lescaze, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Happy Birthday for Saturday, March 29, 2025: You are opinionated and stubborn.
    Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Described by family as larger-than-life in personality and stature, the 6-foot-5-inch Wesley is remembered as a jovial, fiercely stubborn man with a quick wit and passion for advocacy.
    Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • His defense on Ashworth in the second half was superb, sticky and lacking in no detail.
    Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
  • My way of allocating stagehands to a load-out was to write the names down on Post-its, like sticky white things, and put them on their shirts.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Unique, however, is resolute and reveals a personal betrayal.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Even many Republicans who bristled at the tens of billions of dollars in aid packages that Congress approved for Ukraine were resolute that Russia and Vladimir V. Putin, its president, were the aggressors in the conflict.
    Karoun Demirjian, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • An insistent backbeat kept Fantasy of a Broken Heart lively and muscular, but the off-center guitars provided an appealingly sour counterpoint that lent a sense of surprise to this group’s version of pop.
    Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Already various people in the train car were becoming familiar to me from their insistent ringtones.
    Amitava Kumar, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tenacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenacious. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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