noun
tenderness
TEHN-duh-nihs
noun
1
Gentle, caring, and affectionate feeling toward someone.
"There was real tenderness in the way he spoke about his grandmother."
2
Soreness or pain when an area of the body is touched.
"The doctor pressed on her stomach to check for tenderness."
How to Use Tenderness
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither warm affection, or physical soreness to the touch, depending on context.
Common pairings
show tenderness
abdominal tenderness
Word Forms
tendernesses plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “tenderness”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
There was real _____ in the way he spoke about his grandmother.
Etymology
From tender + the noun-forming suffix -ness.