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

Carson instills in her hints of humanity and tenderness underneath a hardened exterior. —Courtney Howard, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025

Equally distinctive is Grade’s tenderness toward religious tradition, which has few parallels in twentieth-century Jewish literature. —Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025

Hearing myself read it aloud gave me a way to communicate emotions to my friends (and myself) that otherwise felt distant: silliness, tenderness, trust. —Charley Locke, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025

According to Omaha Steaks, the cut comes from the short loin of a cow and is prized for its balance of tenderness and flavor. —Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tenderness

• slenderness