tenderfoot

noun

ten·​der·​foot ˈten-dər-ˌfu̇t How to pronounce tenderfoot (audio)
plural tenderfeet ˈten-dər-ˌfēt How to pronounce tenderfoot (audio) also tenderfoots ˈten-dər-ˌfu̇ts How to pronounce tenderfoot (audio)
Synonyms of tenderfootnext
1
: an inexperienced beginner : novice
a political tenderfoot
2
: a newcomer in a comparatively rough or newly settled region
especially : one not hardened to frontier or outdoor life

Synonyms

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Examples of tenderfoot in a Sentence

skateboarders who are tenderfeet will inevitably fall as they learn their first moves
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Smit-McPhee plays a hapless Scottish tenderfoot who teams with Fassbender's conflicted bounty hunter to track down his true love in the American West. — and Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 21 June 2024 The tenderfoot Americans, with six rookies, eight guys yet to reach 30, and minimal scar tissue, won three of four foursomes in the morning to get to 9-3 and two of four fourball rounds in the afternoon to reach 11-5. — BostonGlobe.com, 25 Sep. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of tenderfoot was in 1849

Rhymes for tenderfoot

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Cite this Entry

“Tenderfoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenderfoot. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

tenderfoot

noun
ten·​der·​foot ˈten-dər-ˌfu̇t How to pronounce tenderfoot (audio)
plural tenderfeet -ˌfēt How to pronounce tenderfoot (audio) also tenderfoots -ˌfu̇ts How to pronounce tenderfoot (audio)
1
: a person who is not hardened to a rough outdoor life
2
: beginner
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