tenderness

noun

ten·​der·​ness ˈten-dər-nəs 

: a tender quality or condition: such as

a

: gentleness and affection

His voice quavered with tenderness.

—Joyce Carol Oates

b

: the quality of being succulent and easily chewed

How you carve the meat enhances the tenderness and juiciness of each portion.

—Kemp Minifie

c

: sensitivity to touch or palpation

They found a small increased risk of reactions such as redness, swelling, and/or tenderness at the injection site …

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

Synonyms of tenderness

• kindness

Examples of tenderness in a Sentence

volunteers at the shelter tended to all the animals in their care with great tenderness

Recent Examples on the Web

Regardless of what happens, the cosmos are setting the stage for warmth and tenderness. —Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 4 Nov. 2025

What surprised me most about her — or what was revealed in me through her — was tenderness. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025

Flaky buttermilk biscuits meet the sweet tenderness of cornbread in this bake. —Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Oct. 2025

And Lloyd brings a stiff upper lip that melts away to secret tenderness and fear to Celeste, who is not only navigating the realities of being the only Black woman in the group, but also returning home to take care of her ailing mother. —Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tenderness

• slenderness