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View synonyms for tenderfoot

tenderfoot

[ten-der-foot]

noun

plural

tenderfoots, tenderfeet 
  1. a raw, inexperienced person; novice.

  2. a newcomer to the ranching and mining regions of the western U.S., unused to hardships.

  3. one in the lowest rank of the Boy Scouts of America or Girl Scouts of America.



tenderfoot

/ ˈtɛndəˌfʊt /

noun

  1. a newcomer, esp to the mines or ranches of the southwestern US

  2. (formerly) a beginner in the Scouts or Guides

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of tenderfoot1

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; tender 1 + foot
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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But one month later the Times accused “all Northern California” of conspiring against “Southland,” sending agents to “spy out the land and send the tenderfoot northward.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She was 18, new to New York, a tenderfoot in an industry said to eat its young.

Read more on New York Times

Aiden McCleskey, a tenderfoot Scout from Boy Scout Troop 61 in Northwest Washington, wanted to “gather resources” for Ukrainian civilians who get caught in the line of fire.

Read more on Washington Times

“Black” Burton, a man evil-tempered and malicious, had been picking a quarrel with a tenderfoot at the bar, when Thornton stepped good-naturedly between.

Read more on Literature

Once in the woods, teachers fell back, leaving tenderfeet to find their way together.

Read more on New York Times

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