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

• 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

Both sobering and dreamlike, with moments of genuine tenderness, her film bears witness to cycles of trauma and creates a devastating indictment of historical patriarchal abuse. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025

But there’s a tenderness to him, too, which comes through later, when it’s revealed that Luke’s a single dad with a sensitive side. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 31 July 2025

The month ends with Venus entering Leo on August 25th, bringing tenderness and connection to your intimacy zone. —Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 30 July 2025

And yet the drama in the language is matched by tenderness. —Matthew Clark Davison, Literary Hub, 18 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tenderness

• slenderness