1
as in sensitive
easily injured without careful handling
a tender wound tender plants that cannot take the cold tender pride that got bruised when his girlfriend dumped him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in affectionate
feeling or showing love
a tender embrace between father and daughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in compassionate
having or marked by sympathy and consideration for others
an especially tender teacher who loves having kids with special educational needs in her class
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in weak
lacking bodily strength
a very tender child who always seems to be sick
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in gentle
not harsh or stern especially in nature or effect
his tender comments on how to improve her writing style were gratefully received
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cash
something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment
money from that board game is not legal tender and can't be exchanged for goods or services
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to offer
to put before another for acceptance or consideration
the coach tendered his resignation and started a new career as a physical therapist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tender
Cameron Sperance, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2025
There's a green, which is a very tender leek green, almost.
—Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025
Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
By Renato Granieri At first glance, Mini Winnie captures a tender exchange between species.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025
This essentially replicates a scheme which DOGE oversaw, via the Office of Personnel Management, from January 28 that offered most federal employees full pay and benefits for several months in exchange for tendering their resignations.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tender
Adjective
Lamb with Szechuan mala spices and grilled Spanish octopus were worth finding the last remaining available corners of my stomach, while a wagyu beef tenderloin was the tender, carnivorous pièce de résistance for my last supper in Singapore.
—Cameron Sperance, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2025
There's a green, which is a very tender leek green, almost.
—Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
Our readers swear by the crispy chicken tenders, the crinkle cut fries, and of course, the iconic Cane’s Sauce that seems to make everything taste better.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
By Renato Granieri At first glance, Mini Winnie captures a tender exchange between species.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
Comic pastiche gives way to tender romantic ballads only to explode in musical psychodrama.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025
This essentially replicates a scheme which DOGE oversaw, via the Office of Personnel Management, from January 28 that offered most federal employees full pay and benefits for several months in exchange for tendering their resignations.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tender
Adjective
-
The Trump administration – with Musk and his aides as the tip of the spear – have roiled the federal government with mass layoffs and demands for access to sensitive information at agencies including the Social Security Administration and the National Labor Relations Board.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
-
With uneasiness surrounding reports of electronic searches during border crossings, some travelers have opted to use burner phones—rather than bring their personal phones with them—to protect sensitive information.—
Iona Brannon,
AFAR Media,
2 May 2025
Adjective
-
Goldendoodles, a cross between a golden retriever and a poodle, are popular for their affectionate nature, intelligence, and often hypoallergenic coats.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
-
Together, these studies indicate that boys may be especially sensitive to the quality of early caregiving—an argument to both increase social support for families and resist dubious assumptions that boys do not require substantial affectionate nurturing.—
Joshua Coleman,
The Atlantic,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
TikToker Bella Bradford Announces Her Own Death at 24 in Video Recorded During 'Final Stages' of Rare Terminal Cancer By Friday, however, her condition had deteriorated so drastically that the only compassionate option left was hospice.—
Carissa Talmage,
People.com,
2 May 2025
-
Albert Kim is the founder and CEO of Sota Cloud, pioneering through compassionate innovation.—
Albert Kim,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
Weak Treasury Demand Moved Rates More recently, in the wake of the administration’s chaotic trade policy rollout, Treasury security auctions did not go as expected, with weak demand pushing rates up higher than everyone expected.—
Norbert Michel,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
That’s why he’s been able to generate so much weak contact over the years.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Instead use a gentle blotting technique to draw the stain out of the fabric.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 May 2025
-
The high waistband provides gentle compression without feeling restrictive and doesn’t dig in during long stretches of sitting.—
Susan Brickell,
Travel + Leisure,
3 May 2025
Noun
-
If no one wins the jackpot, the cash prize will continue to tick up.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2025
-
One afternoon, Coogler stopped by a Bank of America to make a sizable cash withdrawal from his account to cover some family expenses.—
Jelani Cobb,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Among its facilities is an underground cafeteria with seating for 300 people, which offers a sense of how many people could be housed there.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
By offering insights that go beyond a simple FICO score, AI can help lenders approve more loans with confidence.—
Naeem Ghauri,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In public comments to the federal agency, city leaders stressed how the Big Easy's already fragile, aging drinking water infrastructure would have trouble withstanding the impacts if the 2024 sill were to breach.—
Kati Weis,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Automation reduces labor dependency, stabilizes production costs, and ends our reliance on fragile, offshore supply chains.—
Cam Myers,
Sourcing Journal,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tender. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share