as in novice
a person who is just starting out in a field of activity
skateboarders who are tenderfeet will inevitably fall as they learn their first moves
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tenderfoot
Smit-McPhee plays a hapless Scottish tenderfoot who teams with Fassbender's conflicted bounty hunter to track down his true love in the American West.
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and Kevin Jacobsen,
EW.com,
21 June 2024
The tenderfoot Americans, with six rookies, eight guys yet to reach 30, and minimal scar tissue, won three of four foursomes in the morning to get to 9-3 and two of four fourball rounds in the afternoon to reach 11-5.
—
BostonGlobe.com,
25 Sep. 2021
Once upon a time, the members of a whitetail deer hunting club in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula invited a tenderfoot to their camp.
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The Editors,
Field & Stream,
11 Oct. 2020
But even a tenderfoot can easily corral yeast and put it to use, because yeast is everywhere.
—
Henry Fountain,
New York Times,
7 May 2020
Lazaria Spearman School: Dacula High Class: 2022 Position: Forward
College: Undecided
Noteworthy: The 6-foot-2 tenderfoot averaged 17 points and 14 rebounds per game to help the Falcons to a 26-4 record.
—
USA TODAY,
22 Apr. 2020
But like a tenderfoot scout who confidently builds a campfire only to end up burning down the forest, Kalanick’s loose management — of his staff and himself — paved the way for a cascade of embarrassing scandals by 2014.
—
Los Angeles Times,
5 Sep. 2019
The film stars Robert Pattinson as Samuel Alabaster, a foppishly dressed tenderfoot who shows up on the Oregon territory with miniature horse named Butterscotch, looking to hire a preacher (David Zellner) for a wedding.
—
Gary Thompson,
Philly.com,
27 June 2018
and Kevin Jacobsen,
EW.com,
21 June 2024
The tenderfoot Americans, with six rookies, eight guys yet to reach 30, and minimal scar tissue, won three of four foursomes in the morning to get to 9-3 and two of four fourball rounds in the afternoon to reach 11-5.
—
BostonGlobe.com,
25 Sep. 2021
Once upon a time, the members of a whitetail deer hunting club in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula invited a tenderfoot to their camp.
—
The Editors,
Field & Stream,
11 Oct. 2020
But even a tenderfoot can easily corral yeast and put it to use, because yeast is everywhere.
—
Henry Fountain,
New York Times,
7 May 2020
Lazaria Spearman School: Dacula High Class: 2022 Position: Forward
College: Undecided
Noteworthy: The 6-foot-2 tenderfoot averaged 17 points and 14 rebounds per game to help the Falcons to a 26-4 record.
—
USA TODAY,
22 Apr. 2020
But like a tenderfoot scout who confidently builds a campfire only to end up burning down the forest, Kalanick’s loose management — of his staff and himself — paved the way for a cascade of embarrassing scandals by 2014.
—
Los Angeles Times,
5 Sep. 2019
The film stars Robert Pattinson as Samuel Alabaster, a foppishly dressed tenderfoot who shows up on the Oregon territory with miniature horse named Butterscotch, looking to hire a preacher (David Zellner) for a wedding.
—
Gary Thompson,
Philly.com,
27 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenderfoot
Noun
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The five-part docuseries, directed by Brian Knappenberger with Tom Hanks as executive producer, offers novice history buffs an extensive look into the establishment of American democracy.
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To create something wholly new, the narrative team looked back to other games with a low barrier to entry, particularly early 2000s Nintendo consoles that invited novices to join the fold.
Noun
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Ticket to Ride is a beginner-friendly route-building game across a map of cities.
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From beginner builds to advanced display-worthy creations, there are deals across every price point.
Noun
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Kieran, his young apprentice, is learning fast.
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In 1811, The Nottingham Review newspaper recorded what's believed to be the first historical mention of the fictitious Ludd character, described as a framework knitting apprentice near Leicester.
Noun
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Torres lamented that the nation’s landmark semiquincentennial comes amid a fever pitch of anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States, marked by a rise in xenophobia and an onslaught of attempts to restrict newcomers here and abroad.
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Chevalier, a 32-year-old community activist and political newcomer, has drawn criticism for her past statements, including supporting abolishing prisons, borders and police.
Noun
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On Tuesday, the first round will take place as 30 rookies join the NBA.
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While first-round picks are slotted into salaries through the NBA’s rookie scale, there isn’t as much structure with second-round selections.
Noun
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JSerra’s Ava Irwin, who earned The Register’s Orange County player of the year honor as a freshman in 2025, has enrolled at Sierra Canyon, Trailblazers athletic director Jon Ellinghouse confirmed Thursday.
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Doggett is the first freshman to win this Gatorade national award, which dates to 1986.
Cite this Entry
“Tenderfoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenderfoot. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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