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tenderly

tenderly

23 1.6
In a gentle, caring way that shows love
  • adverb
  • /ˈtɛndərli/
translation icon : con ternura
  • The father tenderly embraced his child, whispering words of encouragement.
  • softly and tenderly
  • love tenderly
  • so tenderly

So I would invite you to very gently and tenderly ask them, you know, how do you feel about a conversation about this?

Examples

  • "Come on, child," Broken Branch murmured tenderly, picking the girl up and sitting her in her lap.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Hands trembling, Dail stroked his harp as tenderly as he'd have caressed an injured child.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • And how, how tenderly that child needed to be treated.

  • I thank you as tenderly as I will always love you.

  • Has ever she spoken so tenderly of any other man?

  • So I would invite you to very gently and tenderly ask them, you know, how do you feel about a conversation about this?

  • And all this time, his loving lord looks on him most tenderly... with great compassion and pity.

    Academic text (1992)
  • The man slumped in his chair and tenderly pulled his daughter onto his lap.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Molly holds the sweater tenderly and presses it to her cheek.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Napoleon stepped back into the warm bakery, holding his doughnut tenderly by the waxed paper.

    Fiction book (1992)

Synonyms

gently
vstenderly
372 1.0

To do something with little force to avoid hurting or making noise

adds an emotional warmth component to that soft, careful manner
kindly
vstenderly
179 1.0

In a gentle and caring way

is more intimate, adding gentle affection to general kindness
softly
vstenderly
95 1.0

In a gentle, light way using little force

includes emotional care and tenderness in addition to being light handed
dearly
vstenderly
78 2.1

With deep love and strong feeling

is milder, combining gentle action with affectionate feeling rather than intensity
delicately
vstenderly
44 3.7

Gently and carefully to avoid hurting people or breaking things

is warmer and more affectionate while remaining careful and gentle
lovingly
vstenderly
41 1.0

In a kind and caring way that shows strong feeling for someone

is softer and highlights careful gentle treatment as well as affection
fondly
vstenderly
41 1.5

In a warm way that shows liking or love

is more about gentle treatment and caring action than recollection
sweetly
vstenderly
37 1.0

In a kind, gentle, pleasant way

is more focused on careful gentleness and emotional warmth than just pleasantness
affectionately
vstenderly
30 2.6

Act in a loving, gentle way that shows you care

adds careful, tender manner to that warmth rather than only feeling
adoringly
vstenderly
3 3.4

In a loving way that shows deep care and admiration

is gentler and focuses on careful, tender behavior as well as love
endearingly
vstenderly
2 4.2

In a way that makes people like someone and feel warm towards them

is a gentle, loving manner itself rather than causing affection in others
caressingly
vstenderly
1 4.6

In a gentle, loving way like a soft touch

is broader, covering gentle care and emotional warmth not only touch
cherishingly
vstenderly
7.5

In a way that shows deep love and care

is more about gentle manner and tenderness rather than only valuing
light-handedly
vstenderly
6.5

To act gently and carefully without using force

combines that light approach with loving concern and tender feeling

Antonyms

49 3.5

In a severe or unkind way that feels unpleasant

How Tender

lovingly
41 1.0
tenderly
23 1.6
gently
372 1.0
softly
95 1.0

Surface Forms

tenderly positive

Morphology

tenderly = tender (transparent) = tender + ly

The adverb is formed by adding the productive adverbial suffix '-ly' to the adjective 'tender', so the meaning is directly predictable from the base.

Etymology

Tenderly comes from tender, which in turn comes from an old Latin word tener meaning 'soft'. So to act tenderly is to do something in a soft, gentle, and caring way.