From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtenaciouste‧na‧cious /təˈneɪʃəs/ adjective 1 DETERMINEDdetermined to do something and unwilling to stop trying even when the situation becomes difficult a tenacious negotiator► see thesaurus at determined2 tenacious beliefs, ideas etc continue to have a lot of influence for a long time a tenacious religious tradition that is still practised in Shinto temples —tenaciously adverb —tenacity /təˈnæsəti/ noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
tenacious• The approach is as persistent and tenacious as it is conventional and unimaginative.• Lung cancer is one of the more aggressive and tenacious forms of cancer.• He further obliterates his own identity behind a pair of mirrored sunglasses, whose glassy surface deflects even the most tenacious gaze.• Even she was surprised at Gedge's tenacious loyalty to her ideology when she called at a local shop with him.• Then it came to the attention of Edward Hooper, an unusually tenacious man.• He was the most tenacious politician in South Korea.• They were saved only by their tenacious solidarity.• As she pulled out the last tenacious staple, a cassette tape fell out into her lap.• As a reporter, David was tougher and more tenacious than the other three.• Anyone who has tried to remove a hermit crab from its shell will know how tenacious these creatures can be.Origin tenacious (1600-1700) Latin tenax, from tenere “to hold” 