tenderest
tenderest — 動詞
- 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
投標；競標
正式報價爭取工程或服務合約
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.
Nadia 的建築師事務所決定投標市立圖書館的新建合約。
tender for + contract
Five companies tendered for the job of maintaining the town's public parks.
有五家公司投標爭取維護鎮上公園的工作。
Small construction teams often find it hard to tender for large government building projects.
小型施工團隊往往很難投標大型政府建築項目。
The cleaning service tendered for the school contract but did not win it.
那家清潔服務公司投標了學校的合約，但沒有得標。
Wei's software company tendered for a three-year deal with the local health authority.
Wei 的軟體公司投標了一份與當地衛生局為期三年的合約。
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
標購
正式出價購買股票或證券
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.
那筆退休基金在能源公司回購股票時標購了五萬股。
tender for + shares + during + buy-back
Shareholders must decide by Friday whether to tender for their stock at the offered price.
股東必須在星期五之前決定是否要以公布的價格標購他們的持股。
Diego reviewed the offer carefully before tendering for two hundred shares of the pharmaceutical firm.
Diego 仔細審閱了條件，然後才標購那家製藥公司的兩百股股票。
Not all investors choose to tender for their shares when a corporation announces a repurchase.
並非所有投資者都會在公司宣布回購時選擇標購自己的股份。
- 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,
提出；繳付
正式提出（辭呈、道歉、付款等）
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.
財務長在會計錯誤曝光後提出了辭呈。
tender + resignation
Yael stood up at the meeting and tendered a sincere apology to the whole team.
Yael 在會議上站起來，向全體團隊鄭重道歉。
tender + apology
The shipping company tendered a formal complaint to the port authority about the delays.
那家航運公司就延誤問題向港務局提出了正式投訴。
Passengers must tender the exact bus fare because the driver does not carry change.
乘客必須繳付準確的公車車資，因為司機不找零。
Asher tendered the signed contract to the lawyer for final approval.
Asher 將已簽署的合約交給律師做最後審核。
- 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
嫩化
使肉類變得柔軟好嚼
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.
Astrid 用重型廚房鎚把牛排拍打嫩化。
tenderize + meat + by + method (pounding)
If you cook the pork shoulder on low heat, the meat will tenderize slowly.
如果你用小火煮豬肩肉，肉就會慢慢變嫩。
intransitive: will tenderize
Faisal marinated the lamb pieces in yoghurt to make them tender before grilling.
Faisal 用優格醃羊肉塊使其變嫩，然後再烤。
Cheap cuts of beef tenderize nicely when stewed slowly in a covered pot.
便宜的牛肉塊在蓋鍋中慢燉，就能很好地變嫩。
Haruto tenderized the chicken by simmering it in stock for two hours.
Haruto 把雞肉放在高湯中燉了兩小時來嫩化。
- 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 — 名詞
- tenderestsingular
- tenderestsplural
1. A document stating a fixed price for supplying goods or doing a specific job, su
投標書
承攬工程或供應貨物的正式書面報價
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.
那家建築公司提交了一份投標書，要在十二月前蓋好新醫院。
tender + to-infinitive for stating purpose
Charlotte's firm won the tender for supplying office furniture to the city council.
Charlotte 的公司得標，負責為市政府供應辦公家具。
win a tender + for + noun phrase
All tenders must be received before the deadline next Friday.
所有投標書必須在下週五的截止日期前送達。
The government invited tenders from local companies for the bridge project.
政府邀請本地公司針對橋樑工程投標。
Kian's team prepared their tender carefully, checking every cost before sending it.
Kian 的團隊仔細準備了投標書，送出前核對了每一筆成本。
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,
收購要約
買賣公司股份的書面要約
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.
那位投資人發出收購要約，要買那家科技公司五千股股票。
tender + for + quantity + shares
Shareholders can accept the tender if they wish to sell their stock before the deadline.
如果股東想在截止日前賣出持股，可以接受這份收購要約。
The company's board rejected the tender offer, saying the price was too low.
公司董事會以價格過低為由，拒絕了這份收購要約。
Tariro submitted a tender to purchase shares in the newly listed airline.
Tariro 提交了收購要約，要買那家剛上市的航空公司的股票。
- 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
招標
邀請公司競標的過程
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.
學校上個月把清潔合約拿出去招標。
put + [contract] + out to tender
Several local businesses entered the tender for the road repair work.
好幾家本地公司參與了這項道路修復工程的招標。
The hospital's tender for new x-ray machines attracted bids from three firms.
醫院為新Ｘ光機的招標吸引了三家公司的投標。
After a public tender, the city chose a company to upgrade its water system.
經過公開招標，市政府選了一家公司來升級供水系統。
Indra's company decided not to enter the tender because the budget was too small.
Indra 的公司決定不參與招標，因為預算太少。
- 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
煤水車
蒸汽火車後掛載燃料和水的車輛
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.
那輛老舊的蒸汽火車頭後面掛了一節裝滿煤炭和水的煤水車。
steam engine + tender (collocation)
The fire tender arrived at the scene with a full tank of water.
消防水車抵達現場，水箱裝得滿滿的。
Henrik watched as the workers filled the tender with coal for the next journey.
Henrik 看著工人把煤水車裝滿煤炭，準備下一趟行程。
The railway museum keeps a historic tender on display behind its steam engine.
鐵路博物館在蒸汽火車頭後面展示了一輛有歷史意義的煤水車。
- 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
接駁船
大船與岸邊之間運送人員物資的小船
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.
乘客從郵輪搭接駁船到港口上岸。
by tender (prepositional phrase for transport method)
The crew loaded boxes of food onto the tender for the navy vessel.
船員把好幾箱食物搬上接駁船，準備送給海軍艦艇。
A tender pulled alongside the cargo ship to deliver fresh water and mail.
一艘接駁船靠到貨輪旁邊，送來淡水和郵件。
Ilan waved from the tender as it carried him toward the waiting ferry.
Ilan 站在接駁船上揮手，船正載著他駛向等在前面的渡輪。
- 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
雞柳條
裹麵包屑油炸的雞胸肉條
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.
孩子們在咖啡廳點了雞柳條和薯條當午餐。
chicken tenders (common compound noun)
Felipe dipped his chicken tender in barbecue sauce before eating it.
Felipe 把雞柳條沾了烤肉醬再吃。
The restaurant serves crispy chicken tenders with three different dipping sauces.
那家餐廳的香脆雞柳條附有三種不同沾醬。
Mei packed homemade chicken tenders in her daughter's lunchbox every Tuesday.
Mei 每個星期二都會在女兒的午餐盒裡放自製雞柳條。
Diya ordered a salad instead of chicken tenders to eat something healthier.
Diya 點了沙拉而不是雞柳條，想吃點比較健康的東西。
- 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
法定貨幣
法律規定必須接受的支付方式
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.
商家拒絕接受那些外國硬幣，聲稱只有當地貨幣才是法定貨幣。
When the government introduced new banknotes, the old ones remained legal tender for six months.
政府發行新鈔票後，舊鈔票在六個月內仍然是法定貨幣。
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.
那位顧客試圖用一張50英鎊的紙鈔付款，但計程車司機說那張鈔票在當地並非法定貨幣。
Mira checked her wallet and found enough legal tender to pay for the groceries.
Mira檢查了錢包，發現有足夠的法定貨幣可以支付雜貨。
The museum displayed ancient coins that had once been legal tender across the Roman Empire.
博物館展出了古錢幣，這些錢幣曾經是羅馬帝國的法定貨幣。
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
照護者
負責照顧他人需求的人
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.
年長的乘客很感謝這艘船上的服務人員幫他們把行李搬上船。
Ayesha's work as a hospital tender involved washing patients and changing their sheets.
Ayesha在醫院擔任照護員，工作內容包括幫病人洗澡和更換床單。
compound noun: hospital tender
The railway tender made sure the engine had enough coal and water before departure.
火車的服務員在發車前確認引擎有足夠的煤炭和水。
In the village, the well tender kept the pump working so everyone had clean water.
村子裡的水井管理員維持幫浦運作，確保大家都有乾淨的水可用。
Kwame was hired as a garden tender, watering the plants and trimming the hedges.
Kwame受僱擔任園藝照護員，負責澆水和修剪樹籬。
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 — 形容詞
- tenderestpositive
- more tenderestcomparative
- most tenderestsuperlative
1. showing care, affection, or kindness toward someone in a soft, gentle way
溫柔；體貼
表現關愛和溫柔的
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.
Gabriel 在女兒睡前溫柔地親了她一下。
collocation: tender kiss / tender voice / tender moment
The elderly patient smiled as the nurse spoke to her in a tender voice.
那位年長病人微笑著，因為護士用溫柔的聲音跟她說話。
Renata wrote a tender letter to her mother, thanking her for years of support.
Renata 寫了一封溫柔的信給母親，感謝她多年來的支持。
Bilal's tender care for the injured bird touched everyone in the neighborhood.
Bilal 對那隻受傷小鳥的體貼照顧感動了整條街的人。
It was a tender moment when the elderly couple held hands at the park bench.
那對老夫妻在公園長椅上牽著手，場面十分溫馨。
- 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
疼痛；觸痛
受傷或發炎而按壓會痛
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.
摔了一跤之後，Kofi 的膝蓋痛到完全無法彎曲。
pattern: [body part] + be + tender
The doctor gently touched the tender area around Dario's swollen ankle.
醫生輕輕觸碰 Dario 腫脹腳踝周圍疼痛的部位。
Rania's shoulder remained tender for three days after she received the vaccine.
Rania 的肩膀在打疫苗後整整痛了三天。
Piotr's sunburn made the skin on his back too tender to wear a shirt.
Piotr 曬傷了，背部皮膚痛到穿不了襯衫。
The bruise on Nila's arm was still tender, so she avoided pressing on it.
Nila 手臂上的瘀青還很痛，所以她盡量不去按壓。
- 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
軟嫩；鮮嫩
食物烹調後易切易嚼的
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.
那塊牛排煎得恰到好處，嫩到入口即化。
pattern: so tender that [result clause]
Kenji slow-cooked the beef for hours until it became tender and juicy.
Kenji 將牛肉慢火燉了好幾個小時，直到變得軟嫩多汁。
My grandmother's chicken is always tender because she uses a secret marinade.
我祖母做的雞肉總是軟嫩可口，因為她用了獨家醃料。
The vegetables were so tender that a fork could cut through them easily.
那些蔬菜嫩到用叉子就能輕鬆切開。
These pork ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender after three hours in the oven.
這些豬肋排在烤箱裡烤了三小時後，軟嫩到骨肉分離。
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
嬌嫩；怕冷
植物易受低溫損害的
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.
這些嬌嫩的植物必須在初霜來臨前搬進室內。
domain: gardening; tender + plants
The gardener covered the tender seedlings with a cloth to protect them from the cold.
園丁用布蓋住嬌嫩的幼苗，以免它們受凍。
Tender flowers like orchids need a warm room during the winter months.
像蘭花這類嬌嫩的花卉，冬季需要放在溫暖的房間裡。
Dahlia moved her tender herbs into the greenhouse when the weather turned cold.
天氣轉冷時，Dahlia 把她那些不耐寒的香草搬進了溫室。
Allison planted the tender tomatoes after the last sign of frost had passed.
Allison 在最後一次霜凍過去之後，才種下那些嬌嫩的番茄苗。
- 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
年幼；幼嫩
處於生長或生命早期階段的
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.
竹子的嫩芽每年早春時節採收。
collocation: tender shoots / tender leaves / tender age
Tender young leaves taste much better than old, tough ones in a fresh salad.
新鮮沙拉中，幼嫩的葉子比又老又硬的葉子好吃得多。
A lamb at this tender age needs special care and milk from its mother.
這麼幼小的羔羊需要特別照顧，還需要喝母乳。
The farmer picked the tender green beans before they grew too large and tough.
農夫在四季豆還未長大變硬之前，採收了那些鮮嫩的豆莢。
At the tender age of seven, Jabari had already learned to play the violin beautifully.
Jabari 年僅七歲時，就已經學會了優美地演奏小提琴。
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.