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

Amid Sparklehorse’s woozy surrealism, this is a suitably odd dose of tenderness. —Zach Schonfeld, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024

Once done, immerse them in cold water to stop the cooking process and preserve their tenderness. —Amber Love Bond, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2024

Less Breast Soreness Breast tenderness is often due to hormonal fluctuations associated with the menstrual cycle. —Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 16 Oct. 2024

Common reactions from the process include redness, swelling, bruising, scabbing and tenderness of the skin, which typically resolve within a week. —Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above