The word of the day is tenuous, which is an adjective that means something is flimsy, weak, or uncertain. The term can be used to describe a variety of things, including physical objects, situations, or connections. For example, a theater that has struggled financially for years can be said to have a tenuous existence. The word tenuous comes from the Latin adjective tenuis, which means fine-drawn, thin, narrow, or slight. Tenuis is also related to the word thin, and like thin, tenuous has a range of meanings. It can describe literal thinness, such as the threads of a silkworm, or rarity, like a tenuous fluid. The word can also be used figuratively to describe things that are weak or flimsy, such as a tenuous lead in a game. In this context, a tenuous lead means that either team still has a chance at winning. A tenuous connection between two events means that the events are likely unrelated. Overall, the word tenuous is a useful term for describing things that are fragile, uncertain, or barely existing.