tenderize
Americanverb (used with object)
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tenderizes,
present (3rd person singular)
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tenderized,
past participle, past
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tenderizing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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tenderizesimple
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tenderizessimple
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have tenderizedperfect
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has tenderizedperfect
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am tenderizingprogressive
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are tenderizingprogressive
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is tenderizingprogressive
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have been tenderizingperfect progressive
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has been tenderizingperfect progressive
Past
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tenderizedsimple
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had tenderizedperfect
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was tenderizingprogressive
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were tenderizingprogressive
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had been tenderizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tenderize
Explanation
In cooking, to tenderize is to prepare meat so it's more easily chewed, or tender. One way to tenderize meat is to roast it at a low temperature for a long time. There are many different techniques cooks use to tenderize meat. They might marinate it in an acidic liquid, pound it repeatedly before cooking, or brine it in a saltwater solution, for example. All of these methods result in a more tender piece of meat that can be cut and chewed easily. Any tool or substance used to tenderize meat is called a tenderizer.
Vocabulary lists containing tenderize
The Testaments
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Hope Was Here
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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.
See Examples For:
Today’s Americans are fixated on food to a degree that would tenderize the minds of previous generations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Orlando used heavy pressure to tenderize Tullis-Joyce, totaling 12 shots overall in the first half, the keeper saving five before the break.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 7, 2023
Rather than marinate the chicken for hours, 30 minutes will boost flavor and tenderize the meat.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 17, 2023
Marinating sliced Brussels sprouts in a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice helps tenderize them, while a topping of pan-roasted pine nuts and honey mustard dressing complete the dish.
From Salon ● Dec. 26, 2022
The stuff tastes like something you’d use to tenderize pot roast.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
The salt in brine tenderizes the meat, dissolving some of its muscle fibers which helps reduce its overall toughness.
From Salon ● Apr. 1, 2024
Parsley stems are puréed in a bold and garlicky buttermilk marinade that tenderizes the meat, then the leaves and their tender stems are sautéed like spinach and spritzed with fresh lemon.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 16, 2022
In meat marinades, it tenderizes and produces better browning.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 17, 2021
The lactic acid in sour cream tenderizes chicken beautifully and also helps crunchy, savory coatings stick to the meat.
From New York Times ● Jun. 4, 2021
Grillmasters use it at the base of marinades, where it tenderizes meat and its mildly tart and subtle flavor blends in with wood smoke.
From Slate ● Jul. 3, 2018
Thorough cooking is especially important for ground and tenderized meat, where pathogens can be mixed in.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 24, 2023
NOTES: Cube steaks are typically sold already tenderized, but for more tender meat and a faster marinating time, it’s good to tenderize them again.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 12, 2023
Will Smith can seem mad that somebody got him out here looking like this — all tenderized.
From New York Times ● Feb. 8, 2022
On the latter, Yates’ usual youth-crew yawp is tenderized by heartache and isolation — emotional realms he’s started to feel safe exploring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2021
No one followed me into the yard where the late afternoon sun had tenderized the midday harshness.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
In a baking pan, cook a snug bed of sliced potatoes in a little water to get a head start on tenderizing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 15, 2026
On special occasions, or the odd Friday, my dad would start the day by tenderizing cube steaks, pounding them with the prickly end of a meat mallet until their surfaces were quilted, back and front.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 12, 2023
It creates tenderizing effects by breaking down protein in meat or gluten when used in marinades or baking.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 28, 2021
In this marinade, you're going to use both the lemon zest and the juice — which breaks down raw meat and fish — for a one-two punch of flavor and tenderizing power.
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2021
The juices have no where to go, so instead they just stay inside, tenderizing and flavoring the meat.
From The Perdue Chicken Cookbook by Mitzi Perdue
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
