tennis elbow

American

noun

irritation of the synovial membrane, or joint rotary area, of the elbow, caused by immoderate motions while playing tennis or other sports; epicondylitis.

tennis elbow British

noun

a painful inflammation of the elbow caused by exertion in playing tennis and similar games

"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

Etymology

Origin of tennis elbow

First recorded in 1880–85

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.

Achilles tendon pain, tennis elbow, swimmer's shoulder, and jumper's knee affect both young athletes and older adults.

From Science Daily • Feb. 12, 2026

He’s been limited to DH duty since Sept. 1 due to right tennis elbow that he says will require surgery after the Padres’ season ends.

From Washington Times • Sep. 23, 2023

And, of course, there’s lateral epicondylitis, commonly known as tennis elbow — now pickleball elbow.

From New York Times • Aug. 20, 2022

Years ago, Nancy King’s mother was suffering from the painful tendon-strain condition known as tennis elbow.

From Washington Post • Aug. 16, 2021

A muscle disorder around his vocal cords left him unable to sing onstage, and tennis elbow limited his playing.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 27, 2020

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023