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

That swelling, tenderness and throbbing can downright ruin your day. —Julia Calderone, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024

Ben-Adir is magnetic as Marley, capturing the lure and lore of the icon, while also grounding him in subtle instances of tenderness and humanity. —Kathleen Newman-Bremang, refinery29.com, 30 Dec. 2024

One measure of love is to allow another to bypass our defenses, to get close enough to hurt us, to receive them with tenderness and trust, to expose to them the soft, vulnerable place under our wings. —Charles Blow, The Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2024

Each reveals a different facet of Gaga’s creative persona while showcasing a voice that can blend tenderness and ferocity. —Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above