tennis

noun

ten·​nis ˈte-nəs How to pronounce tennis (audio)
often attributive
1
: an indoor or outdoor game that is played with rackets and a light elastic ball by two players or pairs of players on a level court (as of clay or grass) divided by a low net
2
: court tennis

Examples of tennis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Expansion is underway beyond basketball, including tennis through the Laver Cup and a Jacksonville Jaguars NFL license. — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026 This marks the first producing gig for eight-time Grand Slam singles champion Agassi, working alongside fellow former tennis pro and business partner Gimelstob who executive produced Apple TV’s Agassi documentary Open. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026 Inspiration for the project came from Casady’s own experience watching his children train in elite junior tennis at IMG Academy. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026 At Blue Nile, the tennis lineup goes well beyond the traditional strand of round diamonds. — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tennis

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tenetz, tenys, perhaps borrowed from Anglo-French tenez, 2nd person plural imperative of tenir "to hold" — more at tenant entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of tennis was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing tennis

Rhymes for tennis

See All Rhymes for tennis

Browse Nearby Words

tennies
tennis
tennis ball
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Cite this Entry

“Tennis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tennis. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tennis

noun
ten·​nis ˈten-əs How to pronounce tennis (audio)
: a game played with rackets and a light elastic ball by two players or two pairs of players on a level court divided by a low net

More from Merriam-Webster on tennis

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tennis

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