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
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
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
The Journal of the American Medical AssociationSynonyms
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 study did not account for variables like skin tenderness or the varying adhesive strength of different bandage types.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 May 2024
But even if some viewers might grow impatient with Simon’s passivity in the face of endless microaggressions, there’s enough tenderness, heart and ultimate self-realization in Solo to keep you watching.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2024
One that, all hued up like a flower, in some wondrous shade of pink, can both stop people in their tracks and declare a certain kind of tenderness in grief or in love and care.
—Lisa Donovan, New York Times, 15 May 2024
Buttermilk: Adds moisture, tenderness, and a mild tanginess to the cake.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 May 2024
Ubeda delivers one of the finest performances by an actor this year, bursting with tenderness and aching vulnerability as Henry finds healing through storytelling.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 12 May 2024
There’s a lot of darkness, but there’s also a lot of love and tenderness.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 2 May 2024
What came back to me in that moment were memories of Lior’s tenderness.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
Soda bread traditionally calls for buttermilk, which imparts tenderness and tang and contributes to leavening the bread by activating the baking soda.
—Jessie Sheehan, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 May 2024
But even if some viewers might grow impatient with Simon’s passivity in the face of endless microaggressions, there’s enough tenderness, heart and ultimate self-realization in Solo to keep you watching.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2024
One that, all hued up like a flower, in some wondrous shade of pink, can both stop people in their tracks and declare a certain kind of tenderness in grief or in love and care.
—Lisa Donovan, New York Times, 15 May 2024
Buttermilk: Adds moisture, tenderness, and a mild tanginess to the cake.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 May 2024
Ubeda delivers one of the finest performances by an actor this year, bursting with tenderness and aching vulnerability as Henry finds healing through storytelling.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 12 May 2024
There’s a lot of darkness, but there’s also a lot of love and tenderness.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 2 May 2024
What came back to me in that moment were memories of Lior’s tenderness.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
Soda bread traditionally calls for buttermilk, which imparts tenderness and tang and contributes to leavening the bread by activating the baking soda.
—Jessie Sheehan, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tenderness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tenderness
Cite this Entry
“Tenderness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenderness. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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