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Glite Dictionary
🤗 Gentle affection 🤕 Pain when touched
tenderness

tenderness

15 4.5
Pain you feel when an area is sore or sensitive to touch
  • noun
  • /ˈtɛndərnəs/
  • Specialized
: dolor a la palpación
  • The doctor noted tenderness in the patient's abdomen, which indicated possible inflammation.
  • pain or tenderness
  • tenderness on palpation
  • tenderness with associated erythema

They may also have swelling, bruising, and tenderness to touch the injured area.

Examples

  • Physical examination revealed occipital muscle tenderness and spasm on the left.

    Academic text (2008)

  • When the injured knee is examined, the athlete experiences point tenderness at the injury site.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The physical examination usually yields point tenderness directly over the fracture site.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Bowel sounds could be heard, and there was no tenderness on palpation.

    Academic text (2010)

  • For example, you would write: Check for swelling, tenderness, and inflammation.

    Academic text (2002)

  • A thorough examination was repeated, and the only positive finding was tenderness in the D8 spine.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The patient also experienced severe myalgia and muscle tenderness, which is typical in 30% of patients with polymyositis.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Mr. Racine has a low-grade fever and is exhibiting tenderness in his lower right calf.

    Like Father Like Son (1987)

  • A 46-year-old white man presented with facial swelling and tenderness of the left parotid gland.

    Academic text (2005)

  • A 38-year-old woman presented with persistent fever, neck pain, focal tenderness in the left suboccipital area, left otalgia, and photophobia.

    Academic text (2009)

Synonyms

pain
vstenderness
∞ 1.0

An unpleasant feeling in the body because of injury or illness

is felt mainly when an area is touched and often shows inflammation
soreness
vstenderness
11 2.3

A painful, tender feeling in a part of the body when touched

is pain felt specifically on touch and often shows inflammation
aching
vstenderness
7 1.1

A constant, dull pain in a part of the body

is felt on touch rather than a long, dull ongoing discomfort
rawness
vstenderness
1 5.5

A painful, sore feeling on the skin or throat

is pain on touch that commonly signals sensitivity or inflammation
painful sensation
vstenderness
4.8

A sharp uncomfortable feeling in the body when something hurts

is felt when an area is touched, not just general acute discomfort

Compounds

rebound tenderness
  • Specialized
1 7.2

Pain you feel when pressure on the belly is suddenly released, often a sign of swelling in the belly lining

How Tender

tenderness
  • Specialized
15 4.5

Surface Forms

tenderness singular
tendernesses plural

Morphology

tenderness = tender (transparent) = tender + ness

Clear nominalization of the adjective 'tender' meaning 'sensitive to touch', producing a noun meaning the state of being tender or sensitivity to pain.

Etymology

Tenderness also comes from the Latin tener, meaning 'soft'. A soft or sore part of the body hurts more when you touch it, so tenderness can mean the pain felt when an area is touched.