tennis

noun

ten·​nis ˈte-nəs 

often attributive

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

For the outdoor lovers the resort offers pickleball and tennis, mountain biking, hiking, climbing, the Arbor Adventure (a 26-element ropes course in the trees), fly fishing, horseback riding, boating, skeet shooting, and more! — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 16 July 2026

Kate Middleton is joined by Prince George and Princess Charlotte to attend the men’s singles final tennis match at Wimbledon on July 12. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026

My Tennis View Queen had, unsurprisingly, views of the tennis facility, but with plenty of lush greenery to offset any dullness. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026

The fund had already invested in the Mutua Madrid Open and Miami Open tennis tournaments, in partnership with Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 15 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tenetz, tenys, perhaps borrowed from Anglo-French tenez, 2nd person plural imperative of tenir "to hold" — more at tenant entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing tennis

• court tennis
• deck tennis
• lawn tennis
• paddle tennis
• platform tennis
• squash tennis
• table tennis
• tennis bracelet
• tennis court
• tennis elbow
• tennis shoe

Rhymes for tennis

• menace

Kids Definition

tennis

noun

ten·​nis ˈten-əs 

: a game played with rackets and a light elastic ball by two players or two pairs of players on a level court divided by a low net