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View synonyms for

tender

1

[ten-der]

adjective

tenderer, tenderest 
  1. soft or delicate in substance; not hard or tough.

    a tender steak.

  2. weak or delicate in constitution; not strong or hardy.

  3. (of plants) unable to withstand freezing temperatures.

  4. young or immature.

    children of tender age.

  5. delicate or soft in quality.

    tender blue.

  6. delicate, soft, or gentle.

    the tender touch of her hand.

  7. easily moved to sympathy or compassion; kind.

    a tender heart.

  8. affectionate or loving; sentimental or amatory.

    a tender glance.

  9. acutely or painfully sensitive.

    a tender bruise.

  10. easily distressed; readily made uneasy.

    a tender conscience.

  11. yielding readily to force or pressure; easily broken; fragile.

    These roofing shingles are too old and tender.

  12. of a delicate or ticklish nature; requiring careful or tactful handling.

    a tender subject.

  13. considerate or careful; wary or reluctant (usually followed byof ).

    He was tender of imposing his views on others.

  14. Nautical.crank.



noun

  1. Usually tenders

    1. a strip of chicken meat loosely attached to the underside of each breast half, along the breastbone.

    2. a boneless and skinless strip of chicken cut from the breast or thigh.

verb (used with object)

  1. to make tender.

    He tendered the meat in his special marinade before throwing it on the grill.

  2. Archaic.to regard or treat tenderly.

tender

2

[ten-der]

verb (used with object)

  1. to present formally for acceptance; make formal offer of.

    to tender one's resignation.

  2. to offer or proffer.

  3. Law.to offer, as money or goods, in payment of a debt or other obligation, especially in exact accordance with the terms of the law and of the obligation.

verb (used without object)

  1. to make or submit a bid (often followed byfor ).

noun

  1. the act of tendering; an offer of something for acceptance.

    Synonyms: ,
  2. something tendered or offered, especially money, as in payment.

  3. Commerce.an offer made in writing by one party to another to execute certain work, supply certain commodities, etc., at a given cost; bid.

  4. Law.an offer, as of money or goods, in payment or satisfaction of a debt or other obligation.

tender

3

[ten-der]

noun

  1. a person who tends; a person who attends to or takes charge of someone or something.

  2. an auxiliary ship employed to attend one or more other ships, as for supplying provisions.

  3. a dinghy carried or towed by a yacht.

  4. Railroads.a car attached to a steam locomotive for carrying fuel and water.

tender

1

/ ˈɛԻə /

adjective

  1. easily broken, cut, or crushed; soft; not tough

    a tender steak

  2. easily damaged; vulnerable or sensitive

    a tender youth

    at a tender age

  3. having or expressing warm and affectionate feelings

    a tender smile

  4. kind, merciful, or sympathetic

    a tender heart

  5. arousing warm feelings; touching

    a tender memory

  6. gentle and delicate

    a tender breeze

  7. requiring care in handling; ticklish

    a tender question

  8. painful or sore

    a tender wound

  9. sensitive to moral or spiritual feelings

    a tender conscience

  10. careful or protective

    tender of one's emotions

  11. (of a sailing vessel) easily keeled over by a wind; crank Compare stiff

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. rare(tr)

    1. to make tender

    2. to treat tenderly

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

tender

2

/ ˈɛԻə /

verb

  1. (tr) to give, present, or offer

    to tender one's resignation

    tender a bid

  2. to make a formal offer or estimate for (a job or contract)

  3. (tr) law to offer (money or goods) in settlement of a debt or claim

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the act or an instance of tendering; offer

  2. commerce a formal offer to supply specified goods or services at a stated cost or rate

  3. something, esp money, used as an official medium of payment

    legal tender

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

tender

3

/ ˈɛԻə /

noun

  1. a small boat, such as a dinghy, towed or carried by a yacht or ship

  2. a vehicle drawn behind a steam locomotive to carry the fuel and water

  3. an ancillary vehicle used to carry supplies, spare parts, etc, for a mobile operation, such as an outside broadcast

  4. a person who tends

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • tenderly adverb
  • tenderness noun
  • self-tenderness noun
  • tenderer noun
  • ˈٱԻ adverb
  • ˈٱԻԱ noun
  • ˈٱԻ noun
  • ˈٱԻ adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of tender1

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, variant of tendre, from Old French, from Latin tenerum, accusative of tener “tԻ”

Origin of tender2

First recorded in 1535–45; earlier tendre, noun use of Anglo-French tendre “to extend, offer”; tend 1

Origin of tender3

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; originally a variant of attender; tend 2, -er 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of tender1

C13: from Old French tendre, from Latin tener delicate

Origin of tender2

C16: from Anglo-French tendre, from Latin tendere to extend; see tend 1

Origin of tender3

C15: variant of attender
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Idioms and Phrases

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Synonym Study

See offer.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Much of Lucky Bird’s clientele are office workers who place orders for fried chicken sandwiches, tenders, wings and sides like cheddar jalapeño biscuits.

From

The death of Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson is an immeasurable loss for music and for California, both the place and the dream of it that Wilson conjured with his regal and tender compositions.

From

Both Affinity Global and the Serbian government did not respond to requests for comments about how the deal over the site was agreed, and whether or not there was an open tendering process.

From

“It is no secret that I have been living with mental illness for many decades,” he wrote in a tender apology to ticketholders.

From

And wouldn’t you know it, De Niro was there as well, sitting next to Cooper on the couch, giving him a tender pat on the knee.

From

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