as in novice
a person who is just starting out in a field of activity
skateboarders who are tenderfeet will inevitably fall as they learn their first moves
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tenderfoot
Smit-McPhee plays a hapless Scottish tenderfoot who teams with Fassbender's conflicted bounty hunter to track down his true love in the American West.
—
and Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 21 June 2024
The tenderfoot Americans, with six rookies, eight guys yet to reach 30, and minimal scar tissue, won three of four foursomes in the morning to get to 9-3 and two of four fourball rounds in the afternoon to reach 11-5.
—BostonGlobe.com, 25 Sep. 2021
Once upon a time, the members of a whitetail deer hunting club in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula invited a tenderfoot to their camp.
—The Editors, Field & Stream, 11 Oct. 2020
But even a tenderfoot can easily corral yeast and put it to use, because yeast is everywhere.
—Henry Fountain, New York Times, 7 May 2020
Lazaria Spearman School: Dacula High Class: 2022 Position: Forward
College: Undecided
Noteworthy: The 6-foot-2 tenderfoot averaged 17 points and 14 rebounds per game to help the Falcons to a 26-4 record.
—USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2020
But like a tenderfoot scout who confidently builds a campfire only to end up burning down the forest, Kalanick’s loose management — of his staff and himself — paved the way for a cascade of embarrassing scandals by 2014.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2019
The film stars Robert Pattinson as Samuel Alabaster, a foppishly dressed tenderfoot who shows up on the Oregon territory with miniature horse named Butterscotch, looking to hire a preacher (David Zellner) for a wedding.
—Gary Thompson, Philly.com, 27 June 2018
and Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 21 June 2024
The tenderfoot Americans, with six rookies, eight guys yet to reach 30, and minimal scar tissue, won three of four foursomes in the morning to get to 9-3 and two of four fourball rounds in the afternoon to reach 11-5.
—BostonGlobe.com, 25 Sep. 2021
Once upon a time, the members of a whitetail deer hunting club in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula invited a tenderfoot to their camp.
—The Editors, Field & Stream, 11 Oct. 2020
But even a tenderfoot can easily corral yeast and put it to use, because yeast is everywhere.
—Henry Fountain, New York Times, 7 May 2020
Lazaria Spearman School: Dacula High Class: 2022 Position: Forward
College: Undecided
Noteworthy: The 6-foot-2 tenderfoot averaged 17 points and 14 rebounds per game to help the Falcons to a 26-4 record.
—USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2020
But like a tenderfoot scout who confidently builds a campfire only to end up burning down the forest, Kalanick’s loose management — of his staff and himself — paved the way for a cascade of embarrassing scandals by 2014.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2019
The film stars Robert Pattinson as Samuel Alabaster, a foppishly dressed tenderfoot who shows up on the Oregon territory with miniature horse named Butterscotch, looking to hire a preacher (David Zellner) for a wedding.
—Gary Thompson, Philly.com, 27 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenderfoot
Noun
-
With six attachments and a base designed around the coanda effect (an aerodynamic phenomenon where high-velocity air causes moving objects, in this case, hair, to attach to a nearby curved surface), styling novices like me could achieve a bouncy, long-lasting, fresh-from-the-salon blowout at home.—
Jesa Marie Calaor,
Allure,
1 July 2025
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The property is hoping to attract a range of photographers, both novice and seasoned, to the property due to its hide.—
Judy Koutsky,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Noun
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Easy to assemble and great quality for the price, the AeroPilates Reformer Premier Studio 700 is a solid entry point for beginners.—
Amy Wilkinson,
SELF,
1 July 2025
-
Chips and cards are provided, and ongoing open poker play will be available for beginners.—
Kris Slugg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 June 2025
Noun
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Born in Paris in 1879, Poiret started his career as an apprentice at fashion houses including Worth and Doucet, setting up his own in 1903.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
20 June 2025
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President Trump’s goal of 1M apprentices is a good start, but not nearly enough.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
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And those cryptic commands persist today in some Linux editors, like Vim, a modal text editor where users must switch between different modes for editing versus navigating text, which famously confuses newcomers.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
23 June 2025
-
Netflix Now, the second season is coming, which not only brings back Cousins but will feature two newcomers in the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow and Detroit Lions' Jared Goff.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Noun
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Jayden Daniels quickly adapted to the pro level, putting together an impressive rookie campaign.—
Kevin McCormick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 June 2025
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Players, especially rookies, get this treatment all the time.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
22 June 2025
Noun
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This year’s snub doesn’t figure to start a trend, however, as incoming freshman guard Darryn Peterson is ESPN.com’s early choice to be selected No. 1 overall in June 2026.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
30 June 2025
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Winston Schroder, a freshman, won the boys decathlon outdoor national championship.—
Jason Dill,
Miami Herald,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tenderfoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenderfoot. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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