Vocabulary
tenacious
adjective·/tuh-NAY-shuhs/
Holding on firmly and refusing to give up, often against the odds. Tenacious is persistence with extra grip.
Tenacious adds intensity to persistence. The image is gripping something and not letting go, no matter what tries to shake you off. It is a powerful self-description in interviews because it signals you push through resistance, not just effort but determined, unshakeable effort. "Tenacity" (the noun) is the trait itself. Use it for genuinely hard-won pursuits; it is too strong for everyday stick-with-it-ness.
5 ways to use “tenacious” in a sentence
- “She is tenacious; she chased that account for a year and finally landed it.”
- “It took a tenacious effort to fix a bug that had no obvious cause.”
- “He has a tenacious grip on the details; nothing slips past him.”
- “Their tenacity through the downturn is why they are still standing.”
- “Be tenacious about the goal, flexible about the path.”
Now say "tenacious" out loud, in your own sentence.
The fastest way to actually own a word is to use it when you speak, not just read it. Practice in TalkStride and get scored on how clearly it comes out.
Common mistakes
- Treating it as identical to "stubborn." Tenacious is admirable grip toward a goal; stubborn is unhelpful rigidity.
- Saying "ten-AY-shus" with a hard "ten"; it is "tuh-NAY-shuhs."
- Using it for low-stakes persistence. Tenacious implies real resistance overcome.
Similar words, and how they differ
persistent
Persistent is steadily continuing. Tenacious is persistent with a tighter, more intense grip.
determined
Determined is firmly resolved. Tenacious is the gritty refusal to let go while pursuing it.
dogged
Dogged is very close, stubbornly persistent. Tenacious leans a bit more admiring and energetic.