tender — gentle and caring; easily hurt or damaged; soft to touch
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: gentle and caring; easily hurt or damaged; soft to touch
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈtendər/
Example Sentences
- My grandmother's tender hugs could cure any bad day.
- After the workout, my muscles were so tender I couldn't even high-five properly.
- The restaurant's secret was cooking the steak until it was perfectly tender.
tender
ADJECTIVE[/ˈtendər/]
gentle and caring; easily hurt or damaged; soft to touch
The mother gave her baby a tender hug before bedtime.
The nurse gave tender care to the young patient. (TEND + CARE → care for someone gently and kindly)
The tender artist thanked the sender of the flowers and rendered a beautiful painting.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old French 'tendre' meaning soft or delicate, derived from Latin 'tenere' meaning to hold or stretch. The word originally referred to something that is easily stretched or pliant, later developing meanings related to softness and gentleness.
Breakdown
tend- (from Latin tenere, to hold/stretch) + -er (adjective/noun suffix) = tender (one who tends, or having the quality of being soft/delicate)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My grandmother's tender hugs could cure any bad day.”
“After the workout, my muscles were so tender I couldn't even high-five properly.”
“The restaurant's secret was cooking the steak until it was perfectly tender.”
“He tendered his apology with a bouquet of flowers and chocolate cake.”
📚Related Words
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