Dear vs. Tender

Dearadjective

High in price; expensive.

‘The dearer the jewel, the greater the love expressed.’;

Tenderadjective

Sensitive or painful to the touch.

Dearadjective

Loved; lovable.

Tenderadjective

Easily bruised or injured; not firm or hard; delicate.

‘tender plants; tender flesh; tender fruit’;

Dearadjective

Loving, affectionate, heartfelt

‘Such dear embrace tenderly comforts even in this dear sorrow.’;

Tenderadjective

Physically weak; not able to endure hardship.

Dearadjective

Precious to or greatly valued by someone.

‘The dearer the giver, the dearer the trinket he brings!’;

Tenderadjective

(of food) Soft and easily chewed.

Dearadjective

A formal way to start (possibly after my) addressing somebody at the beginning of a letter, memo etc.

‘Dear Sir/Madam/Miss, please notice our offices will be closed during the following bank holidays:nb....’;

Tenderadjective

Sensible to impression and pain; easily pained.

Dearadjective

A formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly.

‘My dear friend, I feel better as soon as you come sit beside my sickbed!’;

Tenderadjective

Fond, loving, gentle, sweet.

‘Suzanne was such a tender mother to her children.’;

Dearadjective

An ironic way to start (often after my) addressing an inferior.

‘My dear boy, if your grades don't pick up I won't bounce you on but over my knee!’;

Tenderadjective

Young and inexperienced.

Dearadjective

(obsolete) Noble.

Tenderadjective

Adapted to excite feeling or sympathy; expressive of the softer passions; pathetic.

‘tender expressions; tender expostulations; a tender strain’;

Dearadjective

Severe, or severely affected; sore.

Tenderadjective

Apt to give pain; causing grief or pain; delicate.

‘a tender subject’;

Dearadjective

(obsolete) Fierce.

‘The Christens found the heathens dear, as the lion doth the bear.’;

Tenderadjective

(nautical) Heeling over too easily when under sail; said of a vessel.

Dearnoun

A very kind, loving person.

‘My cousin is such a dear, always drawing me pictures.’;

Tenderadjective

(obsolete) Exciting kind concern; dear; precious.

Dearnoun

A beloved person

Tenderadjective

(obsolete) Careful to keep inviolate, or not to injure; used with of.

Dearverb

(obsolete) To endear.

Tendernoun

(obsolete) Care, kind concern, regard.

Dearadverb

dearly; at a high price

Tendernoun

The inner flight muscle (pectoralis minor) of poultry.

Dearadjective

Bearing a high price; high-priced; costly; expensive.

‘The cheapest of us is ten groats too dear.’;

Tendernoun

(obsolete) Someone who tends or waits on someone.

Dearadjective

Marked by scarcity or dearth, and exorbitance of price; as, a dear year.

Tendernoun

(rail transport) A railroad car towed behind a steam engine to carry fuel and water.

Dearadjective

Highly valued; greatly beloved; cherished; precious.

‘Neither count I my life dear unto myself.’; ‘And the last joy was dearer than the rest.’; ‘Dear as remember'd kisses after death.’;

Tendernoun

(nautical) A naval ship that functions as a mobile base for other ships.

‘submarine tender’; ‘destroyer tender’;

Dearadjective

Hence, close to the heart; heartfelt; present in mind; engaging the attention.

‘[I'll] leave you to attend him: some dear causeWill in concealment wrap me up awhile.’; ‘His dearest wish was to escape from the bustle and glitter of Whitehall.’;

Tendernoun

(nautical) A smaller boat used for transportation between a large ship and the shore.

Dearadjective

Of disagreeable things and antipathies.

‘In our dear peril.’; ‘Would I had met my dearest foe in heavenOr ever I had seen that day.’;

Tendernoun

A means of payment such as a check or cheque, cash or credit card.

‘Your credit card has been declined so you need to provide some other tender such as cash.’; ‘legal tender’;

Dearnoun

A dear one; lover; sweetheart.

‘That kiss I carried from thee, dear.’;

Tendernoun

(legal) A formal offer to buy or sell something.

‘We will submit our tender to you within the week.’;

Dearadverb

Dearly; at a high price.

‘If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear.’;

Tendernoun

Any offer or proposal made for acceptance.

Dearverb

To endear.

Tenderverb

To make tender or delicate; to weaken.

Dearnoun

a beloved person; used as terms of endearment

Tenderverb

(archaic) To feel tenderly towards; to regard fondly or with consideration.

Dearnoun

a sweet innocent mild-mannered person (especially a child)

Tenderverb

To work on a tender.

Dearadjective

dearly loved

Tenderverb

(formal) To offer, to give.

‘to tender one’s resignation’;

Dearadjective

with or in a close or intimate relationship;

‘a good friend’; ‘my sisters and brothers are near and dear’;

Tenderverb

to offer a payment, as at sales or auctions.

Dearadjective

earnest;

‘one's dearest wish’; ‘devout wishes for their success’; ‘heartfelt condolences’;

Tendernoun

One who tends; one who takes care of any person or thing; a nurse.

Dearadjective

having a high price;

‘costly jewelry’; ‘high-priced merchandise’; ‘much too dear for my pocketbook’; ‘a pricey restaurant’;

Tendernoun

A vessel employed to attend other vessels, to supply them with provisions and other stores, to convey intelligence, or the like.

Dearadverb

with affection;

‘she loved him dearly’; ‘he treats her affectionately’;

Tendernoun

A car attached to a locomotive, for carrying a supply of fuel and water.

Dearadverb

at a great cost;

‘he paid dearly for the food’; ‘this cost him dear’;

Tendernoun

An offer, either of money to pay a debt, or of service to be performed, in order to save a penalty or forfeiture, which would be incurred by nonpayment or nonperformance; as, the tender of rent due, or of the amount of a note, with interest.

Dearadjective

regarded with deep affection

‘he is very dear to me’; ‘a dear friend’;

Tendernoun

Any offer or proposal made for acceptance; as, a tender of a loan, of service, or of friendship; a tender of a bid for a contract.

‘A free, unlimited tender of the gospel.’;

Dearadjective

used in speech as a polite or affectionate form of address

‘Martin, my dear fellow’;

Tendernoun

The thing offered; especially, money offered in payment of an obligation.

Dearadjective

used in the polite form of address at the start of a letter.

Tendernoun

Regard; care; kind concern.

Dearadjective

endearing; sweet

‘a dear little puppy’;

Tenderverb

To offer in payment or satisfaction of a demand, in order to save a penalty or forfeiture; as, to tender the amount of rent or debt.

Dearadjective

expensive

‘five pounds—that's a bit dear!’;

Tenderverb

To offer in words; to present for acceptance.

‘You see how all conditions, how all minds, . . . tender downTheir services to Lord Timon.’;

Dearnoun

used as an affectionate or friendly form of address

‘don't you worry, dear’;

Tenderverb

To have a care of; to be tender toward; hence, to regard; to esteem; to value.

‘For first, next after life, he tendered her good.’; ‘Tender yourself more dearly.’; ‘To see a prince in want would move a miser's charity. Our western princes tendered his case, which they counted might be their own.’;

Dearnoun

a sweet or endearing person

‘Harry's a dear’;

Tenderadjective

Easily impressed, broken, bruised, or injured; not firm or hard; delicate; as, tender plants; tender flesh; tender fruit.

Dearadverb

at a high cost

‘they buy property cheaply and sell dear’;

Tenderadjective

Sensible to impression and pain; easily pained.

‘Our bodies are not naturally more tender than our faces.’;

Dearinterjection

used in expressions of surprise, dismay, or sympathy

‘oh dear, I've upset you’;

Tenderadjective

Physically weak; not hardly or able to endure hardship; immature; effeminate.

‘The tender and delicate woman among you.’;

Tenderadjective

Susceptible of the softer passions, as love, compassion, kindness; compassionate; pitiful; anxious for another's good; easily excited to pity, forgiveness, or favor; sympathetic.

‘The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.’; ‘I am choleric by my nature, and tender by my temper.’;

Tenderadjective

Exciting kind concern; dear; precious.

‘I love Valentine,Whose life's as tender to me as my soul!’;

Tenderadjective

Careful to save inviolate, or not to injure; - with of.

‘The civil authority should be tender of the honor of God and religion.’;

Tenderadjective

Unwilling to cause pain; gentle; mild.

‘You, that are thus so tender o'er his follies,Will never do him good.’;

Tenderadjective

Adapted to excite feeling or sympathy; expressive of the softer passions; pathetic; as, tender expressions; tender expostulations; a tender strain.

Tenderadjective

Apt to give pain; causing grief or pain; delicate; as, a tender subject.

Tenderadjective

Heeling over too easily when under sail; - said of a vessel.

Tendernoun

something used as an official medium of payment

Tendernoun

someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another

Tendernoun

a formal proposal to buy at a specified price

Tendernoun

car attached to a locomotive to carry fuel and water

Tendernoun

a boat for communication between ship and shore

Tendernoun

ship that usually provides supplies to other ships

Tenderverb

offer or present for acceptance

Tenderverb

propose a payment;

‘The Swiss dealer offered $2 million for the painting’;

Tenderverb

make a tender of; in legal settlements

Tenderverb

make tender or more tender as by marinating, pounding, or applying a tenderizer;

‘tenderize meat’;

Tenderadjective

given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality;

‘a tender heart’; ‘a tender smile’; ‘tender loving care’; ‘tender memories’; ‘a tender mother’;

Tenderadjective

hurting;

‘the tender spot on his jaw’;

Tenderadjective

susceptible to physical or emotional injury;

‘at a tender age’;

Tenderadjective

having or displaying warmth or affection;

‘affectionate children’; ‘caring parents’; ‘a fond embrace’; ‘fond of his nephew’; ‘a tender glance’; ‘a warm embrace’;

Tenderadjective

easy to cut or chew;

‘tender beef’;

Tenderadjective

physically untoughened;

‘tender feet’;

Tenderadjective

(used of boats) inclined to heel over easily under sail

Tenderadjective

(of plants) not hardy; easily killed by adverse growing condition;

‘tender green shoots’;

Tenderadjective

showing gentleness, kindness, and affection

‘she covered his face with tender kisses’; ‘he was being so kind and tender’;

Tenderadjective

solicitous of

‘be tender of a lady's reputation’;

Tenderadjective

(of food) easy to cut or chew; not tough

‘tender green beans’;

Tenderadjective

(of a part of the body) sensitive to pain

‘the pale, tender skin of her forearm’;

Tenderadjective

(of a plant) easily injured by severe weather and therefore needing protection

‘pelargoniums are colourful but tender plants’;

Tenderadjective

requiring tact or careful handling

‘the issue of conscription was a particularly tender one’;

Tenderadjective

young, inexperienced, or vulnerable

‘he started sailing at the tender age of ten’;

Tenderadjective

(of a ship) leaning or readily inclined to roll in response to the wind.

Tenderverb

offer or present (something) formally

‘he tendered his resignation as leader’;

Tenderverb

offer (money) as payment

‘she tendered her fare’;

Tenderverb

make a formal written offer to carry out work, supply goods, or buy land, shares, or another asset for a stated fixed price

‘firms of interior decorators have been tendering for the work’;

Tenderverb

formally offer (a stated fixed price) for carrying out work, supplying goods, etc.

‘what price should we tender for a contract?’;

Tenderverb

seek offers to carry out work at a stated fixed price

‘I don't even know why they tendered it out’;

Tendernoun

an offer to carry out work, supply goods, or buy land, shares, or another asset at a stated fixed price

‘being government land, it was sold by tender’; ‘we invited tenders for up to three more frigates’; ‘a minimum tender price’;

Tendernoun

a vehicle used by a fire service for carrying specified supplies or equipment or fulfilling a specified role

‘three fire engines, including an emergency tender, attended the scene’;

Tendernoun

a vehicle used in mobile operations by a public service or the armed forces

‘she saw the police tender dash up and half a dozen men tumble out’;

Tendernoun

a dinghy or other boat used to ferry people and supplies to and from a ship.

Tendernoun

a trailing vehicle closely coupled to a steam locomotive to carry fuel and water.

Tendernoun

a person who looks after someone else or a machine or place

‘Alexei signalled to one of the engine tenders’;