Synonyms of tenderness

tenderness

noun

ˈten-dər-nəs 

as in kindness

sympathetic concern for the well-being of others

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• kindness
• warmth
• humaneness
• tenderheartedness
• kindliness
• benignity
• attentiveness
• generosity
• beneficence
• benevolence
• kindheartedness
• thoughtfulness
• warmheartedness
• good-heartedness
• benignancy
• patience
• considerateness
• friendliness
• mercifulness
• compassionateness
• softheartedness
• affability
• pleasantness
• understanding
• tolerance
• graciousness
• leniency
• niceness
• clemency
• charitableness
• magnanimity
• unselfishness
• altruism
• good-naturedness
• good-temperedness
• philanthropy
• charity
• greatheartedness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• cruelty
• brutality
• savagery
• inhumanity
• callousness
• barbarity
• heartlessness
• savageness
• brutishness
• unkindness
• ruthlessness
• bestiality
• mercilessness
• severity
• toughness
• insensitivity
• sternness
• hard-heartedness
• cold-bloodedness
• thoughtlessness
• inconsiderateness
• harshness
• barbarousness
• pitilessness
• grimness
• unkindliness
• unfeelingness
• meanness
• virulence
• malevolence
• spitefulness
• hatefulness
• maliciousness
• vitriol

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of tenderness

My new cozy fantasy romance, The Hocus Pocus Handbook, offers softness, tenderness and a safe space for readers, just as my counseling office will for clients. — Ann Aguirre, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026

These pockets expand in the oven to give your cookies lift, tenderness, and structure. — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026

Some of the skin is peeling a skosh more than they’d all like, though, a result of the potatoes’ tenderness. — Courtney Crowder, Des Moines Register, 21 Aug. 2026

At the same time, Clark’s voice-over reveals how far his mind has wandered from the tenderness of those moments. — Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026