tenue

faint

adjective TEH-nweh Rare

Origin: From Latin tenuis, 'thin, slight'.

Also means

delicate; tenuous

Usage Note

Tenue describes something barely perceptible — a faint light (una tenue luz), a delicate fragrance, or a weak argument. It is an adjective of two terminations: the same form serves both masculine and feminine (un hilo tenue, una voz tenue). It should not be confused with the English 'tenure', which has no Spanish cognate at all.

Examples

"Entraba una tenue luz por la persiana."

Natural Translation

A faint light filtered through the blinds.

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