feeling tenuous

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "feeling tenuous" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a state of uncertainty or instability in a situation or emotion. Example: "After the recent changes in management, the team's morale is feeling tenuous as they navigate the new expectations."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Few moments on "Lorraine," her sixth album, escape feeling tenuous.

The New York Times - Arts

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The outcome often feels tenuous.

Huffington Post

All of this feels tenuous, she laments.

Huffington Post

Any tenuous feeling of security wouldn't have been helped by Michael Wilshaw, the head of Ofsted's statement that children's services directors are spending too much time at conferences and away from their real work, or Trowler's argument that the professional leadership of children's social work services should be held by assistant directors.

The Guardian

With one question, Dr. Gale had shattered my brittle confidence and my tenuous feeling of belonging at Duke.

Huffington Post

To me, it's a lot to do with a tenuous feeling of 'interference' and I want there to be a sense of duality between our digital experience and our lived experience.

Vice

Anastasia being told to keep her eyes down, sit on the floor with her palms up or succumbing to lashes -- taps into women's feelings about our tenuous sense of power in the world.

Huffington Post

Some of Powell's psychoanalysis into the possible roots of that feeling of inadequacy seems tenuous, like the observation that "Benjamin's childhood geographical environment and the tensions within his family both fostered the sense of apartness which is a prerequisite of creativity".

The New York Times - Books

As folk rock became the trend of the moment, however, its socially critical stance was quickly broadened and diluted, and the relationship between the music and its traditional sources became more tenuous, a matter more of "feeling" than of strict reverence for the past.

Encyclopedia Britannica

We don't know if these moments ever happened, or how they happened, but we feel the force of them anyway — hovering at some remove from any life, attached to autobiography by tenuous threads, searing into us with feelings whose attachments to reality we can't decisively delineate.

The New Yorker

However tenuous and however hippy dippy that sounds, "feeling" has a lot to do with why people by CE devices.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use the phrase "feeling tenuous" to describe intangible things like relationships, situations, or plans, rather than concrete objects. This helps to convey a sense of delicate instability.

Common error

While "feeling tenuous" is a valid phrase, overuse in formal contexts can make your writing sound melodramatic. Opt for more direct alternatives like "unstable" or "uncertain" for a clearer, more professional tone in business or academic settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "feeling tenuous" functions as a descriptive phrase. According to Ludwig, it describes a state of uncertainty or instability associated with a situation or emotion.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "feeling tenuous" is a grammatically correct, although relatively rare, expression used to describe a state of instability or uncertainty. Ludwig AI confirms its usability and suggests that it is often found in news and media contexts. While versatile, it's best suited for describing intangible things such as relationships or situations. For more formal writing, consider stronger and more direct alternatives such as "unstable" or "insecure" to avoid any potential ambiguity or perceived melodrama. Despite its infrequent use, "feeling tenuous" effectively conveys a sense of vulnerability and precariousness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

feeling fragile

Changes "tenuous" to "fragile", emphasizing vulnerability rather than instability.

feeling insecure

Substitutes "tenuous" with "insecure", focusing on a lack of confidence or stability.

feeling unstable

Replaces "tenuous" with "unstable", highlighting the potential for sudden change or collapse.

feeling precarious

Uses "precarious" instead of "tenuous", suggesting a dangerous or risky situation.

feeling delicate

Changes "tenuous" to "delicate", emphasizing the need for careful handling to avoid disruption.

feeling uncertain

Replaces "tenuous" with "uncertain", focusing on a lack of clarity or predictability.

feeling shaky

Substitutes "tenuous" with "shaky", conveying a sense of instability and potential failure.

feeling vulnerable

Changes "tenuous" to "vulnerable", highlighting susceptibility to harm or attack.

feeling at risk

Replaces "tenuous" with "at risk", emphasizing the potential for negative consequences.

feeling questionable

Changes "tenuous" to "questionable", pointing out the doubtful nature of something.

FAQs

How can I use "feeling tenuous" in a sentence?

You can use "feeling tenuous" to describe a situation or emotion that is unstable or uncertain. For example, "After the company's restructuring, employee morale was "feeling tenuous"."

What are some alternatives to "feeling tenuous"?

Some alternatives to "feeling tenuous" include "feeling fragile", "feeling unstable", or "feeling insecure", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "feeling tenuous" grammatically correct?

Yes, "feeling tenuous" is grammatically correct and commonly used in English, although it's not as frequent as some of its alternatives, as confirmed by Ludwig's analysis.

What does it mean when something is described as "feeling tenuous"?

When something is described as "feeling tenuous", it means it gives a sense of being weak, unstable, or uncertain. It suggests that the situation or feeling is delicate and could easily change or collapse.