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 families Golf lessons for adults and children are highly rated (golf pro Jody Addison is fabulous with the smalls), while tennis and paddle lessons are offered aplenty. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2026

The Secret to Staying Sharp The actor, who previously swam and played tennis, now works out with a personal trainer twice a week — alongside Bartlett. —Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026

While famous guests, like tennis star Serena Williams, Chicago Sky WNBA player Angel Reese and actress Marlee Marlin, held events, many attendees complained about sparse decorations and limited events, and many on social media are calling the event a scam. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026

Each one is about the size of a tennis ball, yellow in color with splashes of red, and covered in wart-like bumps, thus the name. —Ari Daniel, NPR, 31 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