untender
7.9
Not gentle or kind in manner and not soft in feel
- adjective
- /ʌnˈtɛndər/
:
áspero
- The untender texture of the overcooked steak made it difficult to chew.
Examples
-
She had an untender way of speaking that often hurt people's feelings.
-
Hungry for the fat, untender meat he wanted between his teeth.
Fiction book (2001) -
The coach's approach was untender, leaving the players feeling discouraged after the harsh criticism.
Synonyms
unkind
vsuntender
44
1.0
Not friendly or caring to other people
applies to lacking tenderness in manner or feeling rather than only rudeness
ungracious
vsuntender
4
6.7
Rude and not polite or kind
focuses on lacking tenderness in feeling or touch rather than social manners
unsparing
vsuntender
2
7.9
Very harsh and not forgiving when criticizing or acting
refers to lacking tenderness in manner or texture rather than deliberate ruthlessness
ungentle
vsuntender
1
7.7
Harsh and unkind in the way someone acts
focuses on absence of tenderness or softness rather than only roughness
9.8
Not used to people and hard to touch or train
emphasizes lacking tenderness as a current quality rather than the process of softening
unpitying
vsuntender
8.8
Not showing kindness or mercy when others suffer
describes lack of tenderness broadly rather than only absence of pity
8.9
Not friendly or warm in behavior
is about lack of tenderness rather than mere absence of warm sociability
Antonyms
How Tender
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word untender is made from un- 'not' and tender 'soft' or 'gentle', the same tender we use in 'tender meat' or 'a tender heart'. So untender means 'not gentle' or 'not soft'.