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

Common reactions from the process include redness, swelling, bruising, scabbing and tenderness of the skin, which typically resolve within a week. —Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 28 Oct. 2024

The severe diarrhea and intestinal inflammation can lead to dehydration and abdominal tenderness. —Mustafa Fattah, NBC News, 24 Oct. 2024

Muscles of varying tenderness exist in a deer’s rear leg. —Wes Siler, Outside Online, 15 Oct. 2024

Because there's a lot going on in this world right now, and people just need a little bit of hope and kindness and tenderness. —Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 25 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above