tenderly

[ ten-der-lee ]

adverb

1. in a soft and gentle way:

   He took time to polish his new leather shoes tenderly with his handkerchief.

   The wind we hated so much while climbing is now tenderly drying the sweat from our brows.

2. in an affectionate, loving, or kindhearted way:

   He looked down tenderly at his baby daughter.

3. sensitively or carefully, as to avoid pain:

   Moving tenderly, she attempted to raise herself from the floor where she had fallen.

Other Words From

• un·ten·der·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of tenderly¹

tender ¹( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

The dynamic between them, on stage and off, is tenderly supportive.

From Los Angeles Times

This can be a lonely desire because so many people in my life have economically and emotionally stable families, so I hold this space tenderly.

From Los Angeles Times

She moves on, tenderly tracing her fingers across the textures of her paintings as if they were still-healing scars.

From Los Angeles Times

So much of this psychologically complex movie’s artistry is wonderfully assured, from cinematographer Wilson Cameron’s textured intimacy with nature and faces, to the tenderly applied, deceptively varied music.

From Los Angeles Times

In one poignant episode, he briefly but tenderly acknowledges a period in which he was “fooling around” with a middle-school male friend, which left them feeling confused and ashamed about their sexuality.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• carefully
• delicately
• gently
• gingerly
• lightly