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
These poems acknowledge pain, but identify tenderness in the darker corners of life.
—
Sean Murphy,
The Conversation,
25 June 2026
Many meatball recipes bind the mixture and add tenderness with eggs and breadcrumbs or bread soaked in milk.
—
Tribune News Service,
Denver Post,
24 June 2026
Reduce heat and simmer until tender (taste-test them for tenderness after an hour).
—
Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 June 2026
Their chemistry grounds every emotional turn of the film, balancing comedy, heartbreak, and tenderness with confidence and precision.
—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tenderness
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Sean Murphy,
The Conversation,
25 June 2026
Many meatball recipes bind the mixture and add tenderness with eggs and breadcrumbs or bread soaked in milk.
—
Tribune News Service,
Denver Post,
24 June 2026
Reduce heat and simmer until tender (taste-test them for tenderness after an hour).
—
Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 June 2026
Their chemistry grounds every emotional turn of the film, balancing comedy, heartbreak, and tenderness with confidence and precision.
—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
21 June 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 5 Jul. 2026.
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