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
Recent Examples on the Web
The abrasiveness of Riley’s vision of America and the tenderness of the coming-of-age story offset and enhance each other.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
Milo’s section of the film also conveys the tenderness and affection with which these young people treat each other.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 17 Mar. 2024
The cake uses buttermilk, which lends tenderness to the crumb, and vanilla and almond extracts for a familiar combination of flavor.
—Micah A Leal, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2024
Blending flares of imaginative theatricality, surreal farce, and deep tenderness, this beautiful rollercoaster ride reveals timeless truths of love, family, and forgiveness.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024
In this review, there are carefully selected five standout products that truly live up to this promise, blending practicality with the tenderness every mother deserves.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024
In particular, Phoebe’s scenes with a sad-eyed teenage specter named Melody (Emily Alyn Lind) have a tenderness that the actresses and filmmakers perch exactly and intriguingly on the line between friendship and physical attraction.
—Ty Burr, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
The third key component of my period self-care is tenderness.
—Caroline Colvin, Health, 9 Mar. 2024
Hormonal pills also have an impact on the body, and can include side effects like nausea, headaches, irritability, tenderness of the breasts, and spotting between periods, the Cleveland Clinic says.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
Milo’s section of the film also conveys the tenderness and affection with which these young people treat each other.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 17 Mar. 2024
The cake uses buttermilk, which lends tenderness to the crumb, and vanilla and almond extracts for a familiar combination of flavor.
—Micah A Leal, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2024
Blending flares of imaginative theatricality, surreal farce, and deep tenderness, this beautiful rollercoaster ride reveals timeless truths of love, family, and forgiveness.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024
In this review, there are carefully selected five standout products that truly live up to this promise, blending practicality with the tenderness every mother deserves.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024
In particular, Phoebe’s scenes with a sad-eyed teenage specter named Melody (Emily Alyn Lind) have a tenderness that the actresses and filmmakers perch exactly and intriguingly on the line between friendship and physical attraction.
—Ty Burr, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
The third key component of my period self-care is tenderness.
—Caroline Colvin, Health, 9 Mar. 2024
Hormonal pills also have an impact on the body, and can include side effects like nausea, headaches, irritability, tenderness of the breasts, and spotting between periods, the Cleveland Clinic says.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 4 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 24 Apr. 2024.
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