Word of the day · 18 August 2026
tenacious
/tɪˈneɪʃəs/
adjective
Holding firmly to something; persistent and not easily discouraged.
In a sentence
- A tenacious reporter kept asking until the records appeared.
- Ivy is tenacious on old brick if you let it climb.
- Her tenacious memory for names made networking look easy.
In an image
Origin
From Latin tenax (holding fast), from tenere (to hold).
History
English has used tenacious since the early 1600s for physical cling and for stubborn resolve. Botanists and chemists applied it to substances that stick. Biographers favor it for people who outlast setbacks. The word praises endurance when stubborn would sound only negative.
Nearby words
persistent · dogged · resolute
A grip that does not quit on a goal or a fact.