- 1that does not stop holding something or give up something easily; determined a tenacious grip She's a tenacious woman. She never gives up. The party has kept its tenacious hold on power for more than twenty years.
- 2continuing to exist, have influence, etc. for longer than you might expect synonym persistent a tenacious illness
adverb Though seriously ill, he still clings tenaciously to life.
NAmE//təˈnæsət̮i//
noun [uncountable] They competed with skill and tenacity.See tenacious in the Oxford Advanced Learner's DictionaryCheck pronunciation: tenacious