“Tenuous” means flimsy, fragile, or not substantial. You can use it to talk about concepts, like the tenuous tie between the words “trivial” and “annual.” You can also use this word to describe physical characteristics. For example, a loose button on a shirt might hang from a tenuous thread.

Example:  “My family had emigrated three generations before, but even this tenuous connection with the families in the town made me a welcome visitor.”