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

Patrick McEnroe is a former professional tennis player, a commentator on ESPN and the president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. —Patrick McEnroe, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026

While many might expect a Swiss brand to align with sports such as soccer, football, tennis, auto racing, or any other super popular realm, Frederique Constant is all about attracting an even greater audience among the Gen Z’s and younger millennials. —Roberta Naas, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026

At the 2026 Australian Open, the Australian tennis star, 26, opened up about planning his upcoming nuptials with his British fiancée, fellow tennis pro Katie Boulter. —Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026

There have been doctor, pilot, tennis player, firefighter, lifeguard, barista and even Olympic skier Kens, among many others. —Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 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 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