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 of tenderness

• 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

Turning back toward her tour guide, Carina appreciated the tenderness in Isabelle’s voice. — Danielle Paquette, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2026

Binoche plays Amanda with a surfeit of tenderness for her mother, who goes from being lucid to infantile without warning. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

In Godzilla Minus Zero, we're again invited to tremble before him—but, once again, not without tenderness. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 6 Nov. 2026

For all of North of North’s affection for slow-burn romance and willingness to objectify Ice Cove’s hottest citizens, the Siaja-Neevee relationship is the core of the show, and the season embraces its tumultuousness and tenderness with deep feeling. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tenderness

• slenderness