2
a
: showing care : considerate, solicitous
tender regard
b
: highly susceptible to impressions or emotions : impressionable
a tender conscience
3
4
5
6
tenderly
adverb
tendered; tendering
ˈten-d(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to present for acceptance : offer
tendered my resignation
2
: to make a tender of
: to make a bid or tender
often attributive
1
: an unconditional offer of money or service in satisfaction of a debt or obligation made to save a penalty or forfeiture for nonpayment or nonperformance
2
: an offer or proposal made for acceptance: such as
a
: an offer of a bid for a contract
b
3
: something that may be offered in payment
specifically
: money
: an often breaded strip of usually breast meat
chicken tenders
also
: the tenderloin of a chicken
: one that tends: such as
a(1)
: a ship employed to attend other ships (as to supply provisions)
(2)
: a boat for communication or transportation between shore and a larger ship
(3)
: a warship that provides logistic support
b
: a car attached to a steam locomotive for carrying a supply of fuel and water
obsolete
Synonyms
Adjective
Verb (1)
Noun (1)
Examples of tender in a Sentence
Adjective
He gave her a tender look.
She was tender and loving with her new child.
Cook the pasta until it is just tender.
Her wrist was swollen and tender.
Recent Examples on the Web
Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
The humorous moments are also punctuated by tender ones that showcase the camaraderie between the two coworkers, Rodriguez teases.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2024
Chips are great, and dips are nice, but one of the most welcome bites at any game-day spread is a crispy, tender chicken wing bathed in spicy Buffalo sauce.
—Jolene Thym, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
Kumar’s felt proximity to his own family origins in poverty has always given his work a tender, corrective power.
—James Wood, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Baking powder: Gives the biscuits lift for a tender, fluffy crumb.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
The tender and juicy-looking main has been a crowd pleaser among her own family and friends, Garten said.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
Railroad bridge collapsed in 1902 One of the more catastrophic Arizona bridge collapses came on Oct. 29, 1902, when the Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad Bridge, also known as the Sante Fe Bridge, collapsed, sending the locomotive, tender and three freight cars into the Salt River below.
—Dylan Wickman, The Arizona Republic, 28 Mar. 2024
Just slice them into ½-inch pieces after cleaning, and let the stew simmer for a few extra minutes until the artichokes are tender and supple.
—Melissa Clark, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
The freight cars were destroyed by the accident, but the tender and locomotive were repaired and returned to service.
—Dylan Wickman, The Arizona Republic, 28 Mar. 2024
There’s also food, with a casual menu that includes burgers, wings, nachos, chicken tenders and pizza.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
Jones, a scene-stealer in supporting roles for years, gives a tour de force lead performance that toggles between unsettling, yearning and tender.
—Jen Yamato, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
The menu is chicken-heavy; options include quarter and half chickens, wings, tenders and sandwiches.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024
The kids specials include a waffle, a scrambled eggs breakfast, macaroni and cheese, and chicken tenders.
—Elaine Rewolinski, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024
Van Noten ends his flower-gathering mission in the Rose Garden, which, in his country’s rain-sodden climate (and with the tender ministrations of the estate’s three full-time gardeners), has bloomed to opulent maturity in just three years.
—Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024
The teether has built-in handles and varied textures that help with developmental growth while soothing the baby’s tender gums.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 18 Mar. 2024
Michael Nowels, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
Tanaka films this tale of love and death with a confrontational, but also tender, frankness regarding women’s bodies, desires, and the distinctness of their art in a society that forces them into narrow attitudes and ways of life—a distinctness reflected in Tanaka’s bold cinematic style.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
Miami Beach City Attorney Rafael Paz tendered his resignation Monday after three years in the role and a decade with the city, a critical departure of a top administrator that puts him among four high-ranking city officials to announce their exits in the past month.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024
The rib-eye was the star of the show: tender, expertly cooked and well-seasoned.
—Yvette Walker, Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2024
Chicken tenders sandwiches and Impossible Burgers are available as well.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
The rice should be puffed up and tender on the outside, with a little bite in the middle.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024
The result is a crumbly corn cake that’s so crisp on the bottom and tender on top; the combination is simply heaven.
—Julia Turshen, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
Our slow-cooker Salisbury steak is the low-and-slow approach to tender, melt-in-your-mouth ground beef topped with flavorful gravy.
—Julia Levy, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2023
Adjective
Here’s some essential reading: 5 tips for cooking juicy pork chops quickly
6 tips for browning food to get more flavor
7 pie crust tips for tender, flaky results every time
Baking spices add complexity to savory dishes.
—Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
The humorous moments are also punctuated by tender ones that showcase the camaraderie between the two coworkers, Rodriguez teases.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2024
Chips are great, and dips are nice, but one of the most welcome bites at any game-day spread is a crispy, tender chicken wing bathed in spicy Buffalo sauce.
—Jolene Thym, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
Kumar’s felt proximity to his own family origins in poverty has always given his work a tender, corrective power.
—James Wood, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Baking powder: Gives the biscuits lift for a tender, fluffy crumb.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
The tender and juicy-looking main has been a crowd pleaser among her own family and friends, Garten said.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
Railroad bridge collapsed in 1902 One of the more catastrophic Arizona bridge collapses came on Oct. 29, 1902, when the Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad Bridge, also known as the Sante Fe Bridge, collapsed, sending the locomotive, tender and three freight cars into the Salt River below.
—Dylan Wickman, The Arizona Republic, 28 Mar. 2024
Just slice them into ½-inch pieces after cleaning, and let the stew simmer for a few extra minutes until the artichokes are tender and supple.
—Melissa Clark, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Noun
Eclipse has a 185-foot-long owner’s deck, the capacity to hold three helicopters, a sophisticated stabilization system, six tenders, and an enormous spa, gym and beach club, not to mention one of the largest swimming pools on any superyacht.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
The freight cars were destroyed by the accident, but the tender and locomotive were repaired and returned to service.
—Dylan Wickman, The Arizona Republic, 28 Mar. 2024
There’s also food, with a casual menu that includes burgers, wings, nachos, chicken tenders and pizza.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
Jones, a scene-stealer in supporting roles for years, gives a tour de force lead performance that toggles between unsettling, yearning and tender.
—Jen Yamato, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
The menu is chicken-heavy; options include quarter and half chickens, wings, tenders and sandwiches.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024
The kids specials include a waffle, a scrambled eggs breakfast, macaroni and cheese, and chicken tenders.
—Elaine Rewolinski, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024
Van Noten ends his flower-gathering mission in the Rose Garden, which, in his country’s rain-sodden climate (and with the tender ministrations of the estate’s three full-time gardeners), has bloomed to opulent maturity in just three years.
—Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024
The teether has built-in handles and varied textures that help with developmental growth while soothing the baby’s tender gums.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 18 Mar. 2024
Verb
Detroit had tendered Wright, 25, a one-year offer of just below $3 million to maintain the right of refusal if Wright signed an offer sheet elsewhere.
—Michael Nowels, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
Tanaka films this tale of love and death with a confrontational, but also tender, frankness regarding women’s bodies, desires, and the distinctness of their art in a society that forces them into narrow attitudes and ways of life—a distinctness reflected in Tanaka’s bold cinematic style.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
Miami Beach City Attorney Rafael Paz tendered his resignation Monday after three years in the role and a decade with the city, a critical departure of a top administrator that puts him among four high-ranking city officials to announce their exits in the past month.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024
The rib-eye was the star of the show: tender, expertly cooked and well-seasoned.
—Yvette Walker, Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2024
Chicken tenders sandwiches and Impossible Burgers are available as well.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
The rice should be puffed up and tender on the outside, with a little bite in the middle.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024
The result is a crumbly corn cake that’s so crisp on the bottom and tender on top; the combination is simply heaven.
—Julia Turshen, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
Our slow-cooker Salisbury steak is the low-and-slow approach to tender, melt-in-your-mouth ground beef topped with flavorful gravy.
—Julia Levy, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tender.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to tender
Dictionary Entries Near tender
Cite this Entry
“Tender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tender. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tender
1 of 5 adjective
ten·der
ˈten-dər
1
: having a soft or yielding quality
tender steak
3
: loving, affectionate
a tender look
4
: showing care : considerate
6
: sensitive to touch : very easily hurt
a tender bruise
7
: demanding careful and sensitive handling
a tender subject
tenderly
adverb
tenderness
noun
tender
2 of 5 verb
tendered; tendering
-d(ə-)riŋ
1
: to offer in payment
2
: to present for acceptance
tendered my resignation
tender
3 of 5 noun1
: an offer of money in payment of a debt
2
: an offer made for acceptance
especially
: a bid for a contract
3
: something that may by law be offered in payment
especially
: money
tender
4 of 5 noun
tend·er
ˈten-dər
: one that tends or takes care: as
a
: a ship used to attend other ships (as to supply food)
b
: a boat that carries passengers or freight between shore and a larger ship
c
: a car attached to a locomotive for carrying fuel and water
tender
5 of 5 noun
: an often breaded strip of usually breast meat
chicken tenders
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English tender "tender, fragile," from early French tendre (same meaning), from Latin tener "having a soft yielding texture, tender, young"
Verb
Middle English tendren "to offer in payment," from early French tendre "to stretch out, offer," from Latin tendere "to stretch" — related to tense entry 2
Noun
from tend "to look after" and -er, noun suffix
Noun
probably short for tenderloin
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