tenderhearted

adjective

ˈten-dər-ˌhär-təd How to pronounce tenderhearted (audio)
Definition of tenderheartednext
1
as in affectionate
feeling or showing love a tenderhearted new mother

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in compassionate
having or marked by sympathy and consideration for others a tenderhearted offer of help for the victims of the earthquake

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 tenderhearted Baker also cast Russian actor Yura Borisov as a tenderhearted henchman. — Mandalit Del Barco, NPR, 2 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenderhearted
  1. affectionate
  2. compassionate
  3. loving
  4. kind
  5. adoring
  6. benevolent
  7. thoughtful
  8. sympathetic
Adjective
  • Harjo and his team — including directors Scott Teems and Rafael Casal, who also plays Francis’ stepdad — have an affectionate eye for Oklahoma and its people.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The first five conditions describe any lasting affectionate bond, such as a close friendship.
    — Pascal Vrticka, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of affectionate
Adjective
  • The far left's open borders policy was not fair or compassionate.
    — WCCO Staff, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Judges could sometimes consider changes to the law when deciding whether to grant compassionate release to inmates who had served at least 10 years.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of compassionate
Adjective
  • Motherhood may not have been her calling, but Sabrina Popo was a loving and affectionate grandmother.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • God is the one divine Mind, and what God knows is what’s real – including each of us as His creation, spiritual, loving, whole, and helpful.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of loving
Adjective
  • The world has lost one of its brightest lights and kindest souls.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Please be kind and respectful of other customers lined up for gas.
    — Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of kind
Adjective
  • Mom and daughter share adoring glances at an event to celebrate International Women's Day in London.
    — Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
  • The Patriots’ pass coverage without Christian Gonzalez, their atrocious inside linebacker play and roller-coaster special teams, which give any adoring fan a heart attack at a moment’s notice.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
Definition of adoring
Adjective
  • Larger-than-life Halloween celebrations rise up every October like the Great Pumpkin (or a benevolent spooky spirit or two) to captivate visitors with parades, caramel apples, costume contests, and more.
    — Michelle Mastro, Midwest Living, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Promotional images and films conjured a playful, adaptable and benevolent house — plastic as the building block of family happiness.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of benevolent
Adjective
  • Combined with plush cushioning, these thoughtful details make Bombas socks stand out from the average pair.
    — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Weiss, now 69, is widely viewed as a smart and thoughtful straight shooter, skilled at solving organizational problems.
    — Hilarie M. Sheets, ARTnews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of thoughtful
Adjective
  • The misery of the situation could feel overwhelming, even cruel, but Cahyono’s observation of Sumiati’s struggles is humane and sympathetic.
    — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Mills, sympathetic to conspiratorial beliefs about the 2020 election and hailed by some election skeptics as a champion of voting integrity, has long clashed with members, squabbling over his power.
    — Caleb Groves, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of sympathetic

Browse Nearby Words

tenderfoot
tenderhearted
tenderheartedness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tenderhearted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenderhearted. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All