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

b

: the quality of being succulent and easily chewed

How you carve the meat enhances the tenderness and juiciness of each portion.

—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

Synonyms

• beneficence
• benevolence
• benignancy
• benignity
• compassionateness
• good-heartedness
• humaneness
• kindheartedness
• kindliness
• kindness
• softheartedness
• tenderheartedness
• warmheartedness

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

According to Omaha Steaks, the cut comes from the short loin of a cow and is prized for its balance of tenderness and flavor. —Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025

On one of her bare shoulders, a thumb-size bruise, which Cassidy sees with something like satisfaction, though also tenderness. —Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025

Heavy whipping cream: Adds moisture and tenderness to the scones, as well as helping bind the dough. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2025

Just fill a large Dutch oven with cubed chuck, a fattier cut of beef that provides tenderness and lots of flavor. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tenderness

• slenderness