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

Interestingly, the wristband could accurately predict a wide array of hand positions, from 26 letters of complex American Sign Language signs to the subtle grips required for holding scissors, a tennis ball, or a pencil. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026

Among those scheduled to be on hand are tennis legend Serena Williams, WNBA star Angel Reese, actor Marlee Matlin and many more. —Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026

Crispin now runs a tennis business while doing music on the side, and opened for Wijk at a recent show in Mexico. —Sam Davies, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026

The two tennis superstars were both born in Spain. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 25 Mar. 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