Dictionary Definition: Not easily stopped or pulled apart : firm or strong
Sentence Definition: When one doesn't give up and displays an unwavering will, their determination to stay tenacious is admirable.
Original Sentence: Irene and I fought over shotgun when my mom was driving, or when her mom was driving, but when we were riding in the Bel Air, we sat in the backseat and pretended to be in the Grey Poupon commercials, with Grandma as our chauffeur, her tenaciously black hair in a newly set permanent just visible to us over the seat back. (Emily M. Danforth)
But over their past three games, they’ve shown a propensity for playing tenacious defense that we hadn’t previously seen.
Aside from the size and length she’ll add to the floor at 6-foot-7, she also brings a tenacious, defensive presence in the paint.
A skilled skater, he’s tenacious without the puck and is always trying to get better with it.
Prefix: -
Suffix: Tenax - firm, persistent.
Root: -ious - characterized by; full of.
Other Forms: Tenacity, Tenaciousness, Tenaciously.
Language of Origin: Derived from Latin and French language.
Original Word: Tenere -> Tenax / Tenacite.
Original Definition: The original word is Tenax, which means tending to hold too fast. Tenax comes from tenere, which means to hold. Tenacite from Old French means the quality of holding firmly.
Story: Since 400 years ago, the definition of tenacious has adhered to the the Latin word it was originally derived from, Tenax, an adjective meaning "Tending to hold too fast." The word could either refer to literally being stuck and hard to remove or persistence. Nowadays, the word tenacious is used to describe athletes and the presence they have, or is used in an obituary as a word to describe someone who has passed away.
Poem:
Surrender will assist in achieving serenity
But to give up when one has gotten so far would be considered absurdity
The urge to rest lurks in the back of ones head
However, the thought of yielding fills one with dread
Pushing forward, being on top is ones only goal
What's keeping one going is the determination coursing in ones soul
Persistence is key; One must trudge along
In order to be tenacious, one must stay strong