noun
tenderfoot
Tenderfoot (noun) means someone new to something and lacking experience.
noun
1
Someone new to something and lacking experience.
2
Someone who had just arrived in the American West in frontier times.
""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."
— Rudy Grillo, Color Me Gay (1991)
"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."
— Elinore Pruitt Stewart, Letters of a Woman Homesteader (1914)
3
A Boy Scout of the lowest rank.
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Etymology
Formed from tender and foot, referring to the delicate feet of newcomers to ranching or mining areas. First recorded in 1866.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for tenderfoot
See all rhymes for tenderfoot →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of tenderfoot?
"tenderfoot" (noun) means someone new to something and lacking experience.
What is another word for tenderfoot?
Other words for "tenderfoot" include fledgling, apprentice, freshman, greenhorn, amateur, greenie.
What is the opposite of tenderfoot?
The opposite of "tenderfoot" is maven.
What are the different meanings of tenderfoot?
"tenderfoot" has 3 main meanings: 1. Someone new to something and lacking experience; 2. Someone who had just arrived in the American West in frontier times; 3. A Boy Scout of the lowest rank.
