TENDERFOOT Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

tenderfoot

noun

ˈten-dər-ˌfu̇t

Definition of tenderfoot

as in novice

a person who is just starting out in a field of activity skateboarders who are tenderfeet will inevitably fall as they learn their first moves

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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.

Recent Examples of tenderfoot 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenderfoot

Noun

To capture some of that essence, Guitar Center is trying to make its stores a place to hang out for novices and pros alike.

— Phil Wahba, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
In the latest, The Big Cats Dance Party, a high-profile case falls to a novice sleuth while the agency’s founder is away.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of novice

Noun

Founding and patenting gabardine Thomas Burberry, a cloth merchant’s apprentice, established his own shop in 1856 in Basingstoke, England, then a rural town located southwest of London.

— Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026
For carpenters, delays and poor weather conditions can disrupt the working hours apprentices need to complete their program, causing some to quit.

— Itzel Franco, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of apprentice

Noun

While Christen and Jude remained among the hottest brands to check out at showroom appointments, other names pinpointed by buyers included Hagelstam, Nomasei, Neous and the newcomers Ananyan and Kiana Ghavidel.

— Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
But velvet ropes and VIP tiers can leave newcomers wondering whether the conversation is meant for them.

— Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of newcomer

Noun

Armstrong, appearing in his first NFL game as a rookie out of Cincinnati, hauled in a catch with an athletic play over the middle for 13 yards and a first down.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2026
That’s why Sieler also implored the rookies to not totally check out.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of rookie

Noun

Meghan Sullivan, a 20-year-old junior who has been on the team since her freshman year, has had Huettl style her hair for every game for the past three years.

— Audrey Noble, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2026
The freshman, who came to USC in the spring out of Santa Margarita High, rejoined the Trojans ahead of the Penn State game while the team faced a variety of injuries to other key players on both sides of the ball.

— Sean Campbell, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of freshman

Browse Nearby Words

tenderfeet

tenderfoot

tenderhearted

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Style

“Tenderfoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenderfoot. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tenderfoot

noun

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