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

In addition to the zoo and aquarium, the institute has Audubon Park and its golf course; soccer and baseball fields; horse stables; a tennis center; a water park and much more. —Arkansas Online, 22 June 2025

Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit and husband to tennis legend Serena Williams, had previously offered a $200,000 public bounty to whoever pulled the card. —Larry Holder, New York Times, 22 June 2025

Professional tennis players Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva were seen in a heated clash following their match at the Bad Homberg Open on Sunday. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2025

Keep looking below for more Lululemon clothes from the We Made Too Much section, including dresses, tennis skirts, and a $9 accessory to complete your summer hairstyle. —Jeaneen Russell, People.com, 21 June 2025

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 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