tenderness

Quality, state or condition of being tender.

He picked her up in his arms with great tenderness.

A tendency to express warm, compassionate feelings.

When the lovers were together, their cold indifference gave way to love and tenderness.

I had known him jealous, suspicious; I had seen about him certain tendernesses, fitfulnesses—a softness which came like a warm air, and a ruth which passed like early dew, dried in the heat of his irritabilities: this was all I had seen.

A concern for the feelings or welfare of others.

When they saw the poor orphans, they were overwhelmed with tenderness for them.

Everybody needs a little tenderness sometimes.

A pain or discomfort when an affected area is touched.

He noted her extreme tenderness when he touched the bruise on her thigh.

Amies Oelschlager said in a statement that oral contraceptives that contain estrogen may cause side effects such as headaches, nausea, and breast tenderness.