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

It has been cooked low and slow, bringing it to an ideal tenderness. — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 16 June 2026

Many meatball recipes bind the mixture and add tenderness with eggs and breadcrumbs or bread soaked in milk. — Tribune News Service, Denver Post, 24 June 2026

This includes pain and tenderness on the inner side of your elbow and stiffness of your elbow. — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

Reduce heat and simmer until tender (taste-test them for tenderness after an hour). — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tenderness

• slenderness