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

Its members-only Carnaúba Wind House, opened in 2024, offers bungalow stays with a kite center, beach club, restaurant, and freshwater lagoon, while the larger Vila Carnaúba development is adding more luxury residences and beach tennis facilities. — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2026

Its regular-season audiences often trail those for prominent UFC, golf, tennis and boxing events. — Bobby Burack, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2026

On The Jennifer Hudson Show, Hawn styled her black suit with a sparkly tennis necklace and comfy metallic ballet flats. — Sarah Felbin, InStyle, 13 Nov. 2026

This fall, tennis legend Venus Williams has lent her voice to the campaign. — Neal Barnard, Boston Herald, 11 Nov. 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