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 AssociationExamples 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
Friedland builds her drama through sharp honesty, and tough as its material may be, few films are so tonally flexible, so able to turn on a dime: stray moments of tenderness, humility, even absurdity poke through, with a love and care for Ruth shown by characters and creators alike.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2025
That means taking off your shoe and sock and checking for any sign of injury such as any tenderness, swelling, bruising, deformity, laceration or bones sticking through the skin.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
He is played by Ethan Hawke, a mainstay of Linklater’s movies, in a remarkable amalgam of bitterness, exuberance, drollery, tenderness, frustration, and tremendous artistic passion.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
The variable estrogen levels can cause worsening migraine, along with irregular periods, hot flashes, breast tenderness, and mood and sleep disturbances.7
Interestingly, migraine attacks tend to diminish in menopause, the time of life when a female stops menstruating for 12 months in a row.
—Brigid Dwyer, Verywell Health, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tenderness
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Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2025
That means taking off your shoe and sock and checking for any sign of injury such as any tenderness, swelling, bruising, deformity, laceration or bones sticking through the skin.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
He is played by Ethan Hawke, a mainstay of Linklater’s movies, in a remarkable amalgam of bitterness, exuberance, drollery, tenderness, frustration, and tremendous artistic passion.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
The variable estrogen levels can cause worsening migraine, along with irregular periods, hot flashes, breast tenderness, and mood and sleep disturbances.7
Interestingly, migraine attacks tend to diminish in menopause, the time of life when a female stops menstruating for 12 months in a row.
—Brigid Dwyer, Verywell Health, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tenderness
Cite this Entry
“Tenderness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenderness. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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