Tenderfoot
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Tenderfoot is a noun meaning (chiefly Canada, US) An inexperienced person; a novice.
Meaning
(chiefly Canada, US) An inexperienced person; a novice.
More Meanings
- (historical) A newcomer or arriviste to the region in the American frontier (Old West and Wild West).
- (dated) A Boy Scout of the lowest rank.
Example Sentences
Watson had risen so hurriedly that he had not been careful about his “tarp” and water had run into his bed. But that wouldn’t disconcert anybody but a tenderfoot.
"Lavender Cowboy," a pseudo folk song, is a tale of futility. It tells of a tenderfoot "with only two hairs on his chest," whose heroic attempt to prove his manhood results in his death.
Word Forms
- tenderfeet
- tenderfoots
Synonyms for tenderfoot
Depending on context, synonyms include abecedarian, alphabetarian, apprentice, amateur, beginner, bun.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include rookie, freshling, greenhorn, freshman, apprentice, colt.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.