tenderfoot

noun

ˈten-dər-ˌfu̇t How to pronounce tenderfoot (audio)
Definition of tenderfootnext
as in novice
a person who is just starting out in a field of activity skateboarders who are tenderfeet will inevitably fall as they learn their first moves

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of tenderfoot But even a tenderfoot can easily corral yeast and put it to use, because yeast is everywhere. — Henry Fountain, New York Times, 7 May 2020 Once upon a time, the members of a whitetail deer hunting club in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula invited a tenderfoot to their camp. — The Editors, Field & Stream, 11 Oct. 2020 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 But like a tenderfoot scout who confidently builds a campfire only to end up burning down the forest, Kalanick’s loose management — of his staff and himself — paved the way for a cascade of embarrassing scandals by 2014. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2019 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenderfoot
  1. novice
  2. beginner
  3. apprentice
  4. newcomer
  5. rookie
  6. freshman
Noun
  • The free Apple Photos is approachable for photography novices but still powerful enough to satisfy those who want extra control.
    — Michael Muchmore, PC Magazine, 29 June 2026
  • Authorities say five instructors, five novice tandem jumpers and the pilot died when the Pilatus PC-6 suddenly fell almost vertically near homes after leaving Nancy-Essey airfield.
    — Antonin Utz, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
Definition of novice
Noun
  • This summer, attendance grew to more than 500, most of them beginners or amateur climbers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 July 2026
  • The limited edition Estes Liberty Star rocket is the perfect model for the job, decked out with a blue and red styling and featuring beginner friendly assembly for an easy setup.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of beginner
Noun
  • Across all trades Pennsylvania infamously requires four journeymen per apprentice, as do Maryland and New Jersey.
    — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Guests will hear the shuffle of San Francisco outside the windows, phones ringing, and the lingering voices of apprentices or other clients.
    — Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 26 June 2026
Definition of apprentice
Noun
  • In a city whose most iconic statue is a testament to its openness to newcomers, teams from Cape Verde to Paraguay to Congo found local fans and international visitors found compatriots.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Many rural areas in the Midwest had a similar share of immigrants in 1910, but newcomers to the cities tended to be from novel sources like Russia or Italy.
    — Albert Sun, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of newcomer
Noun
  • Philadelphia's roster also includes rookie Labaron Philon, Dominick Barlow, Justin Edwards, Adem Bona, Jabari Walker, Dalen Terry and Johni Broome.
    — Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • Guardians rookie Cooper Ingle made a routine catch last night and tossed the ball into the stands.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of rookie
Noun
  • The pair met in English class on the first day of their freshman year.
    — Bryan West, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • To follow through on this commitment to affordability, the system implemented the Tuition Stability Plan in 2022, which locks in a student’s tuition and systemwide fees at their freshman-year rate for the duration of their undergraduate education.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of freshman

Browse Nearby Words

tenderfeet
tenderfoot
tenderhearted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tenderfoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenderfoot. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All