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
The mood is loaded like a memory, possessing a tenderness that goes beyond the usual pre-disaster movie tension.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
Poppy has done an amazing job adapting Chloe’s beloved books, and the way both writers capture young people’s lives with such empathy, tenderness and honesty feels truly extraordinary to me.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 15 May 2026
There are moments of great, witty tenderness here.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 15 May 2026
With remarkable tenderness, Nunez navigates themes of aging, death and mental illness.
—Michael Schaub, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tenderness
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Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
Poppy has done an amazing job adapting Chloe’s beloved books, and the way both writers capture young people’s lives with such empathy, tenderness and honesty feels truly extraordinary to me.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 15 May 2026
There are moments of great, witty tenderness here.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 15 May 2026
With remarkable tenderness, Nunez navigates themes of aging, death and mental illness.
—Michael Schaub, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tenderness
Cite this Entry
“Tenderness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenderness. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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