tenacious
/təˈneɪʃəs/ (bre, ipa) · /təˈneɪʃəs/ (ame, ipa) · /tə-ˈnā-shəs/ (ame, mw)
tenacious — 形容詞
- tenaciouspositive
- more tenaciouscomparative
- most tenacioussuperlative
1. describes someone who refuses to stop trying to achieve a goal or to change a be
頑強；堅持
不放棄目標或信念，堅持到底
describes someone who refuses to stop trying to achieve a goal or to change a belief, even when they face strong difficulties or opposition from others.
Minh was a tenacious reporter who spent three years investigating the corruption scandal.
Minh 是位頑強的記者，花了三年調查那起貪腐案件。
tenacious + noun describing a person's character
The home team's tenacious defence kept their opponents from scoring a single goal.
主隊的頑強防守讓對手一球未進。
tenacious + noun describing an action (defence)
After losing his job, Christopher remained tenacious in his search for new opportunities.
失去工作後，Christopher 仍然堅持尋找新的機會。
Adaeze's tenacious pursuit of justice earned her the respect of the entire community.
Adaeze 頑強追求正義的精神，贏得了整個社群的尊敬。
The lawyer was tenacious in defending her client's rights throughout the long trial.
那位律師在漫長的審判中始終堅定地捍衛當事人的權益。
- persistent
more neutral and common; less emotional than tenacious
- determined
focuses on firm intention rather than the effort of holding on
- dogged
more literary; emphasises never giving up despite difficulty
- unyielding
more formal; stresses refusal to be influenced or changed
- weak-willed
easily persuaded to give up
- irresolute
uncertain and unable to stick to a decision
文法句型
tenacious + noun (person or action)
tenacious in [noun/gerund]
tenacious of [noun]
用法筆記
Unlike stubborn, which usually carries a negative meaning of foolish or unreasonable refusal to change, tenacious is often positive — it praises a person's admirable determination and steady effort.
常見錯誤
2. continues to exist, stay active, or have an impact for much longer than usual, s
持久；難除
持續很長時間，不易消失或改變
continues to exist, stay active, or have an impact for much longer than usual, surviving attempts to remove or end it.
Tenacious old traditions still influence the way people celebrate festivals in the village.
持久的舊傳統仍然影響著村民慶祝節日的方式。
tenacious + noun (tradition)
Sayaka had a tenacious cough that lasted for three weeks after she caught the flu.
Sayaka 得了流感後咳嗽持續了三個星期，一直好不了。
tenacious + noun describing a persistent condition
The tenacious belief that hard work alone guarantees success is common in many cultures.
那種「努力就一定會成功」的頑固信念在許多文化中都很常見。
A tenacious weed kept growing back no matter how many times Ignacio pulled it out.
Ignacio 不管拔了多少次，那種頑強的雜草總是又長出來。
Even after the factory closed, a tenacious rumour about buried gold continued to spread.
即使工廠關閉後，有關埋藏黃金的謠言仍持續流傳。
- persistent
more general; can describe both good and bad things that last
- enduring
more formal; suggests lasting importance or value
- long-lasting
more informal and direct; less emphatic than tenacious
- short-lived
lasting only a brief time
- fading
becoming weaker or disappearing
文法句型
tenacious + abstract noun
用法筆記
Use this sense for things (traditions, problems, rumours, plants) that refuse to go away. Do not use it for people — for a person who keeps trying, use sense 1 instead.
常見錯誤
3. describes a physical substance that sticks firmly to surfaces or holds itself to
黏稠；黏性強
容易附著在其他物體上，不易分開
describes a physical substance that sticks firmly to surfaces or holds itself together so tightly that it is hard to separate.
Tenacious mud stuck to Joaquín's boots, making each step feel heavier.
黏稠的泥土沾在 Joaquín 的靴子上，讓每一步都更沉重。
tenacious + noun describing a substance (mud)
A tenacious glue held the broken vase together for years before it finally came apart.
一種黏性很強的膠水讓那個破花瓶黏合了好幾年，最後才裂開。
tenacious + noun (glue)
Tenacious sap from the pine tree clung to Selim's fingers and would not wash off.
松樹流出的黏稠樹汁沾在 Selim 的手指上，怎麼洗都洗不掉。
Some desert plants have tenacious roots that grip the rocks even during powerful storms.
有些沙漠植物的根抓力很強，即使刮大風暴也能牢牢附著在岩石上。
Old paint can be tenacious and require a strong remover to come off.
舊漆的附著力很強，需要用強力去除劑才能清除。
文法句型
tenacious + noun (substance or material)
用法筆記
This physical sense is less common in everyday conversation than senses 1 and 2. It appears more often in technical writing about materials, adhesives, soils, or plant biology.
4. having the ability to remember facts, people, experiences, or information clearl
記憶力強
善於長期記住資訊或經歷
having the ability to remember facts, people, experiences, or information clearly and for a long time.
Anita had a tenacious memory and could recall conversations from over forty years ago.
Anita 記憶力很強，能回憶起四十多年前的對話。
tenacious memory — the core collocation
Élise had a tenacious memory for historical dates and never needed to check a calendar.
Élise 對歷史日期記憶力很強，從來不需要查日曆。
tenacious memory for [topic]
Actors with a tenacious memory can learn an entire play script in a single evening.
記憶力強的演員可以在一個晚上背完整本劇本。
Kabir had a tenacious memory for faces and never forgot someone he had met.
Kabir 對人臉記憶力很強，見過的人從來不會忘記。
Thanks to her tenacious memory, Amira could still recite poems she had learned in early school.
多虧了 Amira 過人的記憶力，她還能背出小學時學過的詩。
- retentive
more technical; almost exclusively used with 'memory'
- photographic
informal; suggests perfect, detailed recall; more dramatic than tenacious
- forgetful
tending to forget things easily
文法句型
tenacious memory
tenacious memory for [topic]
用法筆記
This sense is the narrowest — it only modifies 'memory' or, occasionally, 'mind.' Do not use it directly for a person's character (that is sense 1). 'A tenacious student' means a determined student, not one with a good memory.