tennis

noun

ten·nis ˈte-nəs

often attributive

: an indoor or outdoor game that is played with rackets and a light elastic ball by two players or pairs of players on a level court (as of clay or grass) divided by a low net

: court tennis

Examples of tennis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Kotb was married to University of New Orleans tennis coach Burzis Kanga from 2005-2008. —

Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 3 Jan. 2025 These tend to only happen at the lowest level of tennis, where chancers are having a crack at making it in the professional ranks. —

The Athletic Uk Staff, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025 Tim Newcomb is a reporter who covers tennis gear and business, sneaker technology and stadiums. —

Tim Newcomb, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025 Available activities include tennis, golf at the Mauna Lani course, petroglyph hikes, and water activities at the Hui Holokai Beach Club, where beach club ambassadors offer ocean and land adventures like snorkeling, canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding, and more. —

Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 31 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tennis

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tenetz, tenys, perhaps borrowed from Anglo-French tenez, 2nd person plural imperative of tenir "to hold" — more at tenant entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler

The first known use of tennis was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century