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
An answer to that hunger lies in these hearty beef flautas, which get tang and earthiness from adobo and lime, and a tenderness from many hours of slow cooking.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
Beneath the metallic veneer, though, her songs had the tenderness and precision of a homily.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
The kind of instigating prompt was my former teacher, the author Lydia Yuknavitch, asking where the rage lived in my work, because Long Live was so much about forgiveness and tenderness and understanding.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
The hallmark symptom of mumps is swelling of one or both parotid glands, which can cause puffy cheeks and tenderness along the jaw.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tenderness
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John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
Beneath the metallic veneer, though, her songs had the tenderness and precision of a homily.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
The kind of instigating prompt was my former teacher, the author Lydia Yuknavitch, asking where the rage lived in my work, because Long Live was so much about forgiveness and tenderness and understanding.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
The hallmark symptom of mumps is swelling of one or both parotid glands, which can cause puffy cheeks and tenderness along the jaw.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tenderness
Cite this Entry
“Tenderness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenderness. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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