Tender - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT tender /ˈtɛndər/ /ˈtɛndə/ IPA guide

Other forms: tenderest; tendered; tenders; tenderer; tendering; tenderized

If you're tender, it means you're fragile, sensitive, easily bruised or gentle. Young, easily cut beef and a sentimental heart can both be called tender.

The many meanings attributed to tender developed over time. In the early 13th century, the word meant soft or easily injured. About a hundred years later, its meaning expanded to include kind and loving. Skip forward another century, and tender could also imply a lack of maturity.

Definitions of tender

adjective easy to cut or chew “tender beef” synonyms: comestible, eatable, edible suitable for use as food chewable, cuttable easy to cut or chew crisp, crispy, crunchy tender and brittle flakey, flaky made of or easily forming flakes tenderised, tenderized made tender as by marinating or pounding see moresee less antonyms: tough resistant to cutting or chewing inedible, uneatable not suitable for food cartilaginous, gristly, rubbery difficult to chew chewy (of food) needing a lot of effort to bite through and swallow, especially due to a rubbery texture coriaceous, leathered, leatherlike, leathery resembling or made to resemble leather; tough but pliable fibrous, sinewy, stringy, unchewable (of meat) full of sinews; especially impossible to chew fibrous, hempen having or resembling fibers especially fibers used in making cordage such as those of jute tough-skinned having a relatively tough outer covering show more antonyms...
verb make tender or more tender as by marinating, pounding, or applying a tenderizer synonyms: tenderise, tenderize see moresee less type of: alter, change, modify cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
adjective given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality “a tender heart” “a tender smile” “tender loving care” “tender memories” “a tender mother” synonyms: soft compassionate and kind; conciliatory protective showing care sentimental given to or marked by sentiment or sentimentality see moresee less antonyms: tough not given to gentleness or sentimentality hard dispassionate insensitive deficient in human sensibility; not mentally or morally sensitive hard-bitten, hard-boiled, pugnacious tough and callous by virtue of experience tough-minded, unsentimental facing facts or difficulties realistically and with determination show more antonyms...
adjective having or displaying warmth or affection “a tender glance” synonyms: affectionate, fond, lovesome, warm loving feeling or showing love and affection
adjective young and immature “at a tender age” synonyms: immature, young (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
adjective physically untoughened “tender feet” synonyms: untoughened weak wanting in physical strength delicate, soft easily hurt see moresee less antonyms: tough physically toughened rugged sturdy and strong in constitution or construction; enduring experienced, experient having experience; having knowledge or skill from observation or participation strong having strength or power greater than average or expected callous, calloused, callused, thickened having calluses; having skin made tough and thick through wear enured, hardened, inured made tough by habitual exposure weather-beaten tanned and coarsened from being outdoors show more antonyms...
adjective hurting “the tender spot on his jaw” synonyms: raw, sensitive, sore painful causing physical or psychological pain
adjective (of plants) not hardy; easily killed by adverse growing condition “tender green shoots” synonyms: delicate exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury
adjective (used of boats) inclined to heel over easily under sail synonyms: crank, cranky, tippy unstable lacking stability or fixity or firmness
verb propose a payment synonyms: bid, offer see moresee less types: show 6 types... hide 6 types... by-bid bid on behalf of someone else subscribe offer to buy, as of stocks and shares overbid bid more than the object is worth underbid bid too low outbid bid higher than others underbid bid lower than a competing bidder
verb offer or present for acceptance see moresee less type of: gift, give, present give as a present; make a gift of
verb make a tender of; in legal settlements see moresee less type of: offer, proffer present for acceptance or rejection
noun something that can be used as an official medium of payment synonyms: legal tender, stamp see moresee less types: food stamp a government-issued stamp that can be used in exchange for food type of: medium of exchange, monetary system anything that is generally accepted as a standard of value and a measure of wealth in a particular country or region
noun a formal proposal to buy at a specified price synonyms: bid see moresee less types: overbid a bid that is higher than preceding bids buyout bid a bid to buy all of a person's holdings type of: offer, offering something offered (as a proposal or bid)
noun someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another synonyms: attendant, attender see moresee less types: show 42 types... hide 42 types... companion one paid to accompany or assist or live with another baggageman an attendant who takes care of baggage batman an orderly assigned to serve a British military officer bellboy, bellhop, bellman someone employed to carry luggage and run errands in a hotel bridesmaid, maid of honor an unmarried woman who attends the bride at a wedding caddie, golf caddie an attendant who carries the golf clubs for a player checker an attendant who checks coats or baggage courtier an attendant at the court of a sovereign cupbearer the attendant (usually an officer of a nobleman's household) whose duty is to fill and serve cups of wine equerry a personal attendant of the British royal family escort an attendant who is employed to accompany someone esquire (Middle Ages) an attendant and shield bearer to a knight; a candidate for knighthood famulus a close attendant (as to a scholar) gillie a young male attendant on a Scottish Highlander chief groomsman a male attendant of the bridegroom at a wedding lifeguard, lifesaver an attendant employed at a beach or pool to protect swimmers from accidents linkboy, linkman (formerly) an attendant hired to carry a torch for pedestrians in dark streets loader an attendant who loads guns for someone shooting game matron of honor a married woman serving as the attendant to the bride at a wedding hospital attendant, orderly a hospital attendant who has general duties that do not involve the medical treatment of patients orderly a soldier who serves as an attendant to a superior officer page, varlet in medieval times a youth acting as a knight's attendant as the first stage in training for knighthood page a youthful attendant at official functions or ceremonies such as legislative functions and weddings racker an attendant who puts pool or billiard balls into a rack rocker an attendant who rocks a child in a cradle second the official attendant of a contestant in a duel or boxing match servitor someone who performs the duties of an attendant for someone else squire a young nobleman attendant on a knight gallant, squire a man who attends or escorts a woman flight attendant, steward an attendant on an airplane litter-bearer, stretcher-bearer one who helps carry a stretcher trainbearer one who holds up the train of a gown or robe on a ceremonial occasion arouser, rouser, waker someone who rouses others from sleep valet someone employed to park and retrieve cars armiger, armor-bearer a squire carrying the armor of a knight best man the principal groomsman at a wedding check girl, hatcheck girl a female checker color guard a ceremonial escort for the (regimental) colors guard of honor, honor guard an escort for a distinguished guest or for the casket at a military funeral minder someone (usually in totalitarian countries) who is assigned to watch over foreign visitors air hostess, hostess, stewardess a woman steward on an airplane guide, usher someone employed to conduct others type of: assistant, help, helper, supporter a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
noun car attached to a locomotive to carry fuel and water see moresee less type of: car, railcar, railroad car, railway car a wheeled vehicle adapted to the rails of railroad
noun ship that usually provides supplies to other ships synonyms: supply ship see moresee less type of: ship a vessel that carries passengers or freight
noun a boat for communication between ship and shore synonyms: cutter, pinnace, ship's boat see moresee less types: gig tender that is a light ship's boat; often for personal use of captain type of: boat a small vessel for travel on water

Pronunciation US /ˈtɛndər/ UK /ˈtɛndə/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘tender'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family

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