Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tenderfoot

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.91 in modern English

Syllables
ten-der-foot
IPA
14
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An inexperienced person; a novice.

Canadian usage; American usage

noun

A newcomer or arriviste to the region in the American frontier (Old West and Wild West).

noun

A Boy Scout of the lowest rank.

Dated

Example Sentences

Etymology

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Questions

What does tenderfoot mean?
An inexperienced person; a novice.
Where does tenderfoot come from?
From tender + foot. Refers to the delicate feet of newcomers to ranching or mining areas. First attested 1866.

How to pronounce tenderfoot

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “tenderfoot”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “tenderfoot”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “tenderfoot” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.