tennis

noun

ten·​nis ˈte-nəs 

often attributive

1

: an indoor or outdoor game that is played with rackets and a light elastic ball by two players or pairs of players on a level court (as of clay or grass) divided by a low net

2

: court tennis

Examples of tennis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are courts for padel, pickleball, ping-pong, and tennis, and plenty of trails for ATV forest drives and guided sound-of-nature tours. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 May 2026

Osaka’s tennis shone, too, in a 6-3, 7-6(3) win that felt straightforward considering Siegemund’s ability to knock opponents off rhythm with her awkward, slice-laden game and use of tennis’ dark arts. —Ava Wallace, New York Times, 28 May 2026

Beyond its culinary highlights, guests can enjoy tennis and pickleball, a 3,000-square-foot fitness center and movement studio, 3 miles of on-site trails, complimentary daily wellness classes, and more. —Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2026

The star athlete is reportedly gearing up to return to tennis at 44 years old. —Robyn Merrett, InStyle, 28 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tenetz, tenys, perhaps borrowed from Anglo-French tenez, 2nd person plural imperative of tenir "to hold" — more at tenant entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing tennis

• court tennis
• deck tennis
• lawn tennis
• paddle tennis
• platform tennis
• squash tennis
• table tennis
• tennis bracelet
• tennis court
• tennis elbow
• tennis shoe

Rhymes for tennis

• menace

Kids Definition

tennis

noun

ten·​nis ˈten-əs 

: a game played with rackets and a light elastic ball by two players or two pairs of players on a level court divided by a low net