tennis

noun

ten·nis ˈte-nəs

often attributive

: an indoor or outdoor game that is played with rackets and a light elastic ball by two players or pairs of players on a level court (as of clay or grass) divided by a low net

: court tennis

Examples of tennis in a Sentence

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.

Princess Kate is known for her varied workout routines, which include cold swimming, tennis, interval training and more, as well as jumping on the trampoline and staying active with her children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. —

Janine Henni, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024 White Gold Give this dazzling tennis bracelet with 100 natural diamonds to someone extra special this holiday season. —

Kasey Caminiti, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024 Renowned tennis coach Brad Gilbert and wife Kim are serving as technical consultants. —

Matt Grobar, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024 Wellness and fitness enthusiasts have plenty to do, too — there’s golf, yoga, surfing, mountain biking, ziplining, and tennis — and that’s not counting a new sports park. —

Denny Lee, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tennis

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tenetz, tenys, perhaps borrowed from Anglo-French tenez, 2nd person plural imperative of tenir "to hold" — more at tenant entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler

The first known use of tennis was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century