tenderfoot
noun
ten·der·foot ˈten-dər-ˌfu̇t 
plural tenderfeet ˈten-dər-ˌfēt also tenderfoots ˈten-dər-ˌfu̇ts
also tenderfoots ˈten-dər-ˌfu̇ts
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
Examples of tenderfoot in a Sentence
skateboarders who are tenderfeet will inevitably fall as they learn their first moves
Recent Examples on the Web
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 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 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 Lazaria Spearman School: Dacula High Class: 2022 Position: Forward College: Undecided Noteworthy: The 6-foot-2 tenderfoot averaged 17 points and 14 rebounds per game to help the Falcons to a 26-4 record. —USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2020 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 film stars Robert Pattinson as Samuel Alabaster, a foppishly dressed tenderfoot who shows up on the Oregon territory with miniature horse named Butterscotch, looking to hire a preacher (David Zellner) for a wedding. —Gary Thompson, Philly.com, 27 June 2018
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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 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 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 Lazaria Spearman School: Dacula High Class: 2022 Position: Forward College: Undecided Noteworthy: The 6-foot-2 tenderfoot averaged 17 points and 14 rebounds per game to help the Falcons to a 26-4 record. —USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2020 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 film stars Robert Pattinson as Samuel Alabaster, a foppishly dressed tenderfoot who shows up on the Oregon territory with miniature horse named Butterscotch, looking to hire a preacher (David Zellner) for a wedding. —Gary Thompson, Philly.com, 27 June 2018
Cite this Entry
“Tenderfoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/tenderfoot. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tenderfoot
noun
ten·der·foot ˈten-dər-ˌfu̇t
1
: a person who is not hardened to a rough outdoor life
2
: beginner
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