tenderness

noun

ten·​der·​ness ˈten-dər-nəs 

: 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

• kindness

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

That roller coaster of flavor and tenderness comes from dry-aging the steaks for 30 to 40 days in rum, and a marinade that involves both jerk spice and Onwuachi’s mother’s Creole green seasoning, a paste of herbs, aromatics and peppers. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026

There’s this propulsive tension and this tenderness that’s side by side. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026

There is stillness, a tenderness, a respect for women and a depth of feeling that is unmistakably his. — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026

Woolf treats this psychic drama seriously and with great generosity and tenderness. — Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tenderness

• slenderness