tenderness

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Quality, state or condition of being tender.

   • He picked her up in his arms with great tenderness.
2. 2

   A tendency to express warm, compassionate feelings.

   • When the lovers were together, their cold indifference gave way to love and tenderness.
   • I had known him jealous, suspicious; I had seen about him certain tendernesses, fitfulnesses—a softness which came like a warm air, and a ruth which passed like early dew, dried in the heat of his irritabilities: this was all I had seen.
   • Love me, try to be understanding / Tenderness is all that I'm asking / Don't feel like I'm making conditions / I want to overcome my inhibitions
3. 3

   A concern for the feelings or welfare of others.

   • When they saw the poor orphans, they were overwhelmed with tenderness for them.
   • Everybody needs a little tenderness sometimes.
4. ›+ 1 more definitionshow fewer

   1. 4

      A pain or discomfort when an affected area is touched.

      • He noted her extreme tenderness when he touched the bruise on her thigh.
      • Amies Oelschlager said in a statement that oral contraceptives that contain estrogen may cause side effects such as headaches, nausea, and breast tenderness.

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