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
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
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
The Journal of the American Medical AssociationExamples 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
Then Danielle and Michèle dance, with a casual tenderness belying how charged the moment is for Michèle.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
The scene is a familiar one in these kinds of tales of regression, but Apatow imbues it with a tenderness.
—Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
When life events call for satisfying comfort food, try our Eggplant Parmesan to evoke warmth and tenderness.
—Bethany Thayer, Freep.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The lives of the two children in the story, aged fourteen and four, are portrayed as being as fleeting as the fireflies, and the story is an unsentimental and unflinching account with moments of both tenderness and heartlessness.
—Ginny Tapley Takemori
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tenderness
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
The scene is a familiar one in these kinds of tales of regression, but Apatow imbues it with a tenderness.
—Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
When life events call for satisfying comfort food, try our Eggplant Parmesan to evoke warmth and tenderness.
—Bethany Thayer, Freep.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The lives of the two children in the story, aged fourteen and four, are portrayed as being as fleeting as the fireflies, and the story is an unsentimental and unflinching account with moments of both tenderness and heartlessness.
—Ginny Tapley Takemori
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tenderness
Cite this Entry
“Tenderness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenderness. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share