tenderest
tenderest — verb
- tenderestpresent simple I / you / we / they
- tenderests3rd person singular
- tenderesting-ing form
- tenderestedpast simple
1. To submit a formal price offer in response to a request from a company, governme
To submit a formal price offer in response to a request from a company, government, or organisation that wants to buy work or services — for example, a construction firm tendering for a road-building project.
Nadia's architecture firm decided to tender for the new city library contract.
tender for + contract
Five companies tendered for the job of maintaining the town's public parks.
Small construction teams often find it hard to tender for large government building projects.
The cleaning service tendered for the school contract but did not win it.
Wei's software company tendered for a three-year deal with the local health authority.
文法句型
tender for + noun phrase (a job/contract/service)
用法筆記
Subject is normally a company or professional team, not an individual. Almost always followed by 'for' plus the piece of work or contract.
常見錯誤
2. To make a formal written offer to buy a specified number of shares or other fina
To make a formal written offer to buy a specified number of shares or other financial securities at a stated price, especially during a company buy-back or takeover.
The pension fund tendered for fifty thousand shares during the energy company's buy-back.
tender for + shares + during + buy-back
Shareholders must decide by Friday whether to tender for their stock at the offered price.
Diego reviewed the offer carefully before tendering for two hundred shares of the pharmaceutical firm.
Not all investors choose to tender for their shares when a corporation announces a repurchase.
- offer to buy
more transparent but less specialised; any potential buyer can 'offer to buy', but only formal processes use 'tender for'
文法句型
tender for + shares/securities
用法筆記
Restricted to formal finance and investment contexts. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is about selling a service (contract work), while sense 2 is about buying securities (shares/stocks).
3. To formally give, present, or offer something such as a resignation, an apology,
To formally give, present, or offer something such as a resignation, an apology, a payment, or a document to the appropriate person or authority.
The finance director tendered his resignation after the accounting error became public.
tender + resignation
Yael stood up at the meeting and tendered a sincere apology to the whole team.
tender + apology
The shipping company tendered a formal complaint to the port authority about the delays.
Passengers must tender the exact bus fare because the driver does not carry change.
Asher tendered the signed contract to the lawyer for final approval.
- offer
less formal and far more common; 'offer' works for both official and everyday situations
- present
similar level of formality; 'present' can imply a ceremonial or face-to-face handing-over, while 'tender' is often administrative
- submit
used for documents and applications; slightly less formal than 'tender'
- withdraw
to take back something that was formally offered or presented
文法句型
tender + noun phrase (resignation/apology/payment)
用法筆記
Highly formal. Common objects are 'resignation', 'apology', 'thanks', 'payment', 'complaint', and 'documents'. Rarely used in casual conversation.
常見錯誤
4. To make meat or other food soft and easy to cut or chew by using a method such a
To make meat or other food soft and easy to cut or chew by using a method such as beating it with a tool, soaking it in a marinade, or cooking it slowly at a low temperature.
Astrid tenderized the beef steak by pounding it with a heavy kitchen mallet.
tenderize + meat + by + method (pounding)
If you cook the pork shoulder on low heat, the meat will tenderize slowly.
intransitive: will tenderize
Faisal marinated the lamb pieces in yoghurt to make them tender before grilling.
Cheap cuts of beef tenderize nicely when stewed slowly in a covered pot.
Haruto tenderized the chicken by simmering it in stock for two hours.
- harden
to make or become hard, the opposite of becoming tender
文法句型
tenderize + noun phrase (meat/food)
tenderize (intransitive — the food becomes tender)
cook/stew + until tender
用法筆記
The standard verb for this meaning in modern English is 'tenderize'. The rare form 'tender' as a cooking verb is occasionally found in older recipes but should be avoided by learners. Intransitive use ('the meat tenderizes') is less common than transitive use ('tenderize the meat').
常見錯誤
tenderest — noun
- tenderestsingular
- tenderestsplural
1. A document stating a fixed price for supplying goods or doing a specific job, su
A document stating a fixed price for supplying goods or doing a specific job, submitted by a company after an official request for offers.
The construction company submitted a tender to build the new hospital by December.
tender + to-infinitive for stating purpose
Charlotte's firm won the tender for supplying office furniture to the city council.
win a tender + for + noun phrase
All tenders must be received before the deadline next Friday.
The government invited tenders from local companies for the bridge project.
Kian's team prepared their tender carefully, checking every cost before sending it.
文法句型
tender + for + [job/project]
tender + to-infinitive
submit/win a tender
用法筆記
Common in business and government procurement. The organization that wants work done 'invites tenders'; the company that wants the job 'submits a tender'.
常見錯誤
2. A formal document stating a set price for purchasing or selling company shares,
A formal document stating a set price for purchasing or selling company shares, often issued during a takeover or large investment deal.
The investor made a tender for five thousand shares of the tech company.
tender + for + quantity + shares
Shareholders can accept the tender if they wish to sell their stock before the deadline.
The company's board rejected the tender offer, saying the price was too low.
Tariro submitted a tender to purchase shares in the newly listed airline.
- tender offer
the full term often used in financial reports; 'tender' alone may be ambiguous
- buy offer
less formal and more general
文法句型
tender + for + [quantity] + shares
tender offer
用法筆記
Often called a 'tender offer' in financial news. This sense is distinct from sense 1 — the thing being bought is shares, not work or goods.
常見錯誤
3. The process in which an organization asks companies to submit competitive offers
The process in which an organization asks companies to submit competitive offers for a project, contract, or service before choosing one.
The school put the cleaning contract out to tender last month.
put + [contract] + out to tender
Several local businesses entered the tender for the road repair work.
The hospital's tender for new x-ray machines attracted bids from three firms.
After a public tender, the city chose a company to upgrade its water system.
Indra's company decided not to enter the tender because the budget was too small.
- bidding process
more general; 'tender' is the formal British English term for competitive bidding
- competitive bidding
emphasises the competitive nature of the selection
文法句型
put + [contract/work] + out to tender
by tender
用法筆記
Typically appears in the fixed phrases 'put something out to tender' or 'by tender'. Unlike sense 1, this sense names the process, not the document.
常見錯誤
4. A wagon or tank attached behind a steam locomotive that holds fuel and water for
A wagon or tank attached behind a steam locomotive that holds fuel and water for the engine, or a firefighting vehicle that hauls water to a blaze.
The old steam engine pulled a tender loaded with coal and water.
steam engine + tender (collocation)
The fire tender arrived at the scene with a full tank of water.
Henrik watched as the workers filled the tender with coal for the next journey.
The railway museum keeps a historic tender on display behind its steam engine.
- fuel tender
specifies the purpose of the vehicle
- water tender
used for fire service vehicles
文法句型
[fuel/water/coal] + tender
5. A vessel used to ferry passengers, cargo, or provisions from a large ship anchor
A vessel used to ferry passengers, cargo, or provisions from a large ship anchored at sea back to dry land and vice versa.
Passengers were taken from the cruise ship to the port by tender.
by tender (prepositional phrase for transport method)
The crew loaded boxes of food onto the tender for the navy vessel.
A tender pulled alongside the cargo ship to deliver fresh water and mail.
Ilan waved from the tender as it carried him toward the waiting ferry.
- launch
a type of motorboat; 'tender' emphasises the supply/transport function
- supply boat
more descriptive but less formal than 'tender'
文法句型
by tender
[ship type]'s tender
6. A strip of meat cut from a chicken's chest area, usually coated with breadcrumbs
A strip of meat cut from a chicken's chest area, usually coated with breadcrumbs and cooked in hot oil until the outside turns golden and crisp.
The children ordered chicken tenders with fries for lunch at the cafe.
chicken tenders (common compound noun)
Felipe dipped his chicken tender in barbecue sauce before eating it.
The restaurant serves crispy chicken tenders with three different dipping sauces.
Mei packed homemade chicken tenders in her daughter's lunchbox every Tuesday.
Diya ordered a salad instead of chicken tenders to eat something healthier.
- chicken strip
more descriptive but less common on menus
- chicken finger
interchangeable in most contexts; 'tender' suggests a thicker, juicier cut
文法句型
chicken + tenders
[adjective] + chicken tenders
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural form 'tenders'. 'Chicken tender' in the singular usually refers to one piece, while 'chicken tenders' is the standard name for the dish.
常見錯誤
7. Money, coins, or paper bills that the law says people must accept as payment whe
Money, coins, or paper bills that the law says people must accept as payment when someone offers them to buy goods or pay a debt.
The shop refused to accept the foreign coins, saying only local currency was legal tender.
When the government introduced new banknotes, the old ones remained legal tender for six months.
remain + legal tender (stative verb pattern)
The customer tried to pay with a 50-pound note, but the taxi driver said it was not legal tender there.
Mira checked her wallet and found enough legal tender to pay for the groceries.
The museum displayed ancient coins that had once been legal tender across the Roman Empire.
用法筆記
Commonly found in the fixed phrase 'legal tender.' The noun refers to the legal status of a payment form, not to a specific type of coin or bill.
常見錯誤
8. A person whose role is to look after someone or something — for example, a worke
A person whose role is to look after someone or something — for example, a worker who cares for elderly patients, serves passengers on a ship, or keeps equipment running.
The elderly passengers appreciated the ship's tender, who carried their luggage onboard.
Ayesha's work as a hospital tender involved washing patients and changing their sheets.
compound noun: hospital tender
The railway tender made sure the engine had enough coal and water before departure.
In the village, the well tender kept the pump working so everyone had clean water.
Kwame was hired as a garden tender, watering the plants and trimming the hedges.
用法筆記
This sense is uncommon as a standalone word in modern English. It survives mostly in compounds such as 'bartender' and in specialized contexts (hospital tender, ship's tender). The related verb 'to tend' carries the core idea of caring for or attending to something.
tenderest — adjective
- tenderestpositive
- more tenderestcomparative
- most tenderestsuperlative
1. showing care, affection, or kindness toward someone in a soft, gentle way
showing care, affection, or kindness toward someone in a soft, gentle way
Gabriel gave his little daughter a tender kiss before she went to sleep.
collocation: tender kiss / tender voice / tender moment
The elderly patient smiled as the nurse spoke to her in a tender voice.
Renata wrote a tender letter to her mother, thanking her for years of support.
Bilal's tender care for the injured bird touched everyone in the neighborhood.
It was a tender moment when the elderly couple held hands at the park bench.
- affectionate
more active in showing love, while 'tender' suggests a gentle, soft quality
- gentle
focuses on softness of action across more contexts; 'tender' adds emotional warmth
- warm
describes friendliness rather than the soft, caring quality of 'tender'
2. hurting or feeling uncomfortable when touched, usually because of an injury or h
hurting or feeling uncomfortable when touched, usually because of an injury or health condition
After the fall, Kofi's knee was so tender that he could not bend it.
pattern: [body part] + be + tender
The doctor gently touched the tender area around Dario's swollen ankle.
Rania's shoulder remained tender for three days after she received the vaccine.
Piotr's sunburn made the skin on his back too tender to wear a shirt.
The bruise on Nila's arm was still tender, so she avoided pressing on it.
- numb
no physical feeling at all, opposite of painful to touch
用法筆記
Subject is typically a body part or area of skin; the cause (injury, illness, vaccination) is often mentioned in context.
常見錯誤
3. describing cooked food, especially meat or vegetables, that is soft enough to cu
describing cooked food, especially meat or vegetables, that is soft enough to cut and chew without effort
The steak was perfectly cooked and so tender that it melted in the mouth.
pattern: so tender that [result clause]
Kenji slow-cooked the beef for hours until it became tender and juicy.
My grandmother's chicken is always tender because she uses a secret marinade.
The vegetables were so tender that a fork could cut through them easily.
These pork ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender after three hours in the oven.
用法筆記
Frequently modified by intensifiers like 'so', 'very', or 'perfectly'. Often used with cooking methods (slow-cooked, roasted, grilled).
常見錯誤
4. describing a plant that is easily damaged or killed by cold temperatures and nee
describing a plant that is easily damaged or killed by cold temperatures and needs protection in winter
These tender plants must be brought indoors before the first frost arrives.
domain: gardening; tender + plants
The gardener covered the tender seedlings with a cloth to protect them from the cold.
Tender flowers like orchids need a warm room during the winter months.
Dahlia moved her tender herbs into the greenhouse when the weather turned cold.
Allison planted the tender tomatoes after the last sign of frost had passed.
- hardy
able to survive cold weather without protection, the direct opposite
用法筆記
Subject is always a plant, seedling, or crop. Often paired with advice about protection (bring indoors, cover, move to greenhouse).
5. at an early stage of growth or life, often describing a young plant, animal, or
at an early stage of growth or life, often describing a young plant, animal, or person who is not yet fully developed and needs care
The tender shoots of the bamboo plant are harvested in early spring each year.
collocation: tender shoots / tender leaves / tender age
Tender young leaves taste much better than old, tough ones in a fresh salad.
A lamb at this tender age needs special care and milk from its mother.
The farmer picked the tender green beans before they grew too large and tough.
At the tender age of seven, Jabari had already learned to play the violin beautifully.
用法筆記
Very common in the set phrase 'at the tender age of [number]'. Mostly used for plants and very young animals or people.