Slight or flimsy (7) Crossword Clue
Answer: TENUOUS (7 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Slight or flimsy" with 7 letters is "TENUOUS".Tenuous means weak, slight, or flimsy, often used to describe something that lacks strength or solidity, such as a tenuous argument or a weak connection. It suggests fragility or a lack of firm foundation, making it susceptible to collapse or failure.
Why “Tenuous” Fits
The clue asks for a single word (7 letters) meaning “slight or flimsy.” The answer, TENUOUS, fits exactly:
- Slight or flimsy: Tenuous describes something weak, delicate, or insubstantial — whether physical, logical, or emotional. It perfectly conveys the idea of fragility or lack of strength.
- Direct match: With seven letters, tenuous aligns precisely with the clue’s enumeration.
- Precise meaning: The word applies equally to physical connections (“a tenuous thread”) and abstract ideas (“a tenuous argument”), matching both aspects of the clue.
The term tenuous adds a refined precision to English expression:
- Origin and usage: From Latin tenuis, meaning “thin” or “slender,” evolving through Middle English to describe something lacking solidity or strength.
- Contexts: Commonly used across literature, science, and debate to describe delicate links, uncertain reasoning, or fragile structures.
- Examples: “Their friendship was tenuous after years apart,” or “The evidence for the claim was tenuous at best.”
Quick crossword clues like “slight or flimsy (7)” often rely on adjectives meaning weak, uncertain, or delicate:
- Alternatives such as fragile (7) or feeble (6) may come to mind, but tenuous most accurately captures the specific nuance of being insubstantial or weakly connected.
- Recognizing that the clue’s dual definition (“slight” and “flimsy”) both point to the same subtle weakness leads directly to tenuous.
- With exact letter count, nuanced meaning, and elegant precision, tenuous is the correct crossword solution.
