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

• beneficence
• benevolence
• benignancy
• benignity
• compassionateness
• good-heartedness
• humaneness
• kindheartedness
• kindliness
• kindness
• softheartedness
• tenderheartedness
• warmheartedness

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

The record was praised for its intimacy and its thematic tenderness, with Lamar exploring his personal journey with therapy, his struggles with generational trauma, and the ways that trauma might be transferrable to his children. —Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

The combination of tenacity and tenderness, sensitivity and strength imbues his music with a generosity that evokes childhood wonder and adult complexity. —Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2024

Forced to reveal his actual profession to Michael as bullets swirl around the screen, Sam’s tenderness and love for his beau are vividly clear as a trembling Michael clings to Sam’s back for protection. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 5 Dec. 2024

The songs fulfill the assignment to get people moving, but they are expertly laced with inspired, soft textures (akin to breakout producer Fred Again …) that give them tenderness and soul. —Piet Levy, Journal Sentinel, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above