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

It’s also accompanied by his debut monograph, a fuller record of an ascendant practice intent on restoring fullness and tenderness to Black life. —Okla Jones, Essence, 10 Oct. 2025

In her books, anything that smacks of compassion or tenderness deserves, at best, strategic suspicion. —Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025

Other than a couple moments of tenderness between Tommy and his fiancée, there are no scenes in the first book that challenge our negative perception of Tommy. —Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025

Social attitudes toward black bears fluctuate between admiration, tenderness, and fear. —Ganesh Marín, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tenderness

• slenderness