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

• kindness

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 tenderness of this moment is just so overwhelming and raw and real. —James Factora, Them., 26 Sep. 2025

TikTok users flooded the comments with reactions, many sharing their own experiences with interspecies animal friendships, and others simply reveling in the unlikely display of tenderness. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025

For a girl like me who is bold in essence but soft on the inside, not drawing brows brings my tenderness out by softening my features. —Essence, 24 Sep. 2025

His usual tenderness and consideration for me were missing. —Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tenderness

• slenderness