tenderness

noun

ten·​der·​ness ˈten-dər-nəs How to pronounce tenderness (audio)
Synonyms of tendernessnext
: a tender quality or condition: such as
a
: gentleness and affection
His voice quavered with tenderness.—Joyce Carol Oates
b
: the quality of being succulent and easily chewed
How you carve the meat enhances the tenderness and juiciness of each portion.—Kemp Minifie
c
: sensitivity to touch or palpation
They found a small increased risk of reactions such as redness, swelling, and/or tenderness at the injection site …—The Journal of the American Medical Association

Synonyms of tenderness

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of tenderness in a Sentence

volunteers at the shelter tended to all the animals in their care with great tenderness
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Zucchini adds an extra layer of tenderness to this olive oil cake. — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 2 Aug. 2026 For all the movie’s self-awareness, it’s filled with tenderness and humor. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 31 July 2026 There’s also hints of vulnerability and genuine tenderness in her stern headmistress of the bedroom, which Wilde slips in just slyly enough to let the presence of a heart peek through all the brainy brashness and hormone overload. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2026 And yet, in Yoon’s hands, a character’s suffering never overwhelms their capacity for tenderness. — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tenderness

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tenderness was in the 14th century

Rhymes for tenderness

See All Rhymes for tenderness

Browse Nearby Words

tender-minded
tenderness
tender-nosed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tenderness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenderness. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on tenderness

Nglish: Translation of tenderness for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of invidious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All