tennis

noun, often attributive

ten·nis | \ˈte-nəs

Definition of tennis

1 : an indoor or outdoor game that is played with rackets and a light elastic ball by two players or pairs of players on a level court (as of clay or grass) divided by a low net

2 : court tennis

Examples of tennis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fresh from wearing the prettiest white eyelet dress by Anna Mason, to watch the tennis at Wimbledon, Middleton has now been spotted wearing a gorgeous yellow sundress. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Pregnant Pippa Middleton Just Paired a Summery Yellow Dress with Sparkly Sneakers," 7 July 2018 Isner's ace total is the third-highest ever at Wimbledon — behind his own record in a three-day epic against Nicolas Mahut in 2010, which went to 70-68 in the fifth and is the longest tennis match in history. — Houston Chronicle, "Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal advance at Wimbledon," 5 July 2018 The district is spending $153,200 contract to build the new courts at Nike, which will be located just east of existing tennis courts. — Gary Gibula, Naperville Sun, "Naperville answering demand for pickleball with new courts at Nike Complex, Southwest Park," 14 July 2018 By the end of fall, the school will complete two soccer fields, a track, softball, baseball fields and a tennis court, Boonstra said. — Meredith Colias-pete, Post-Tribune, "New Illiana Christian High School set to open in August," 13 July 2018 It’s hard to deny that what Serena Williams keeps achieving on a tennis court is nothing less than sublime. — Sandra Harwitt, USA TODAY, "Chris Evert: Serena Williams' focus 'unbelievable' heading into Wimbledon final," 13 July 2018 Another home in Dallas is reminiscent of an art museum with large floor-to-ceiling arcs along the front of the home, a beautiful double staircase, and a cabana and tennis court. — Daniela Sternitzky-di Napoli, Houston Chronicle, "Take a look at the most expensive homes for sale in Texas," 11 July 2018 Most regularly allow free usage of the outdoor tracks for running and walking as well as the tennis courts for those looking to enjoy pick-up games or their own little imaginary Wimbledon with family and friends. — C.r. Walker, Daily Southtown, "Aside from tracks, high school exercise facilities remain largely off limits to community in summer," 9 July 2018 Amenities include six golf courses; three swimming pool complexes, including two indoors; indoor tennis courts; nine restaurants; and two spas. — New York Times, "Looking for a Weekend Escape? Here Are 5 Family-Friendly Options," 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tennis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Statistics for tennis

Last Updated

8 Oct 2018

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Time Traveler for tennis

The first known use of tennis was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for tennis

tennis

noun

English Language Learners Definition of tennis

: a game that is played by two people or two pairs of people on a special court (called a tennis court) where they hit a small ball back and forth over a net using rackets

See the full definition for tennis in the English Language Learners Dictionary

tennis

noun

ten·nis | \ˈte-nəs