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

January 20 – February 18 When tenderness meets truth, healing begins. —Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026

Aquarius January 20 – February 18 When tenderness meets truth, healing begins. —Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 11 Jan. 2026

But anyone willing to consider the thicket of fears, affections and recriminations that grows through the cracks of a long relationship will find in these pages an almost unbearable tenderness. —Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026

Against that backdrop, a sport long coded as immutably masculine was transformed, without controversy, into a setting for tenderness and love between two men. —Jennifer Obel, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tenderness

• slenderness