What does tenderize mean?
Tenderize is a transitive verb meaning to make food more tender, often by pounding, beating, marinating, or cooking it. The verb is also used figuratively for making a person, audience, or issue seem gentler, more sympathetic, or less objectionable. In cooking, the change is especially useful for tough cuts of meat, whose connective tissue becomes easier to chew. The word is chiefly associated with North American English; British English commonly spells it tenderise. Although tenderize can imply a physical process, its figurative use often carries a slightly strategic or persuasive tone. It belongs to the familiar -ize family of verbs that turn an adjective into an action. Its usefulness lies in naming the result—making something tender—rather than specifying one method, since pounding, marinating, enzymatic treatment, and suitable cooking can all accomplish that end.
verbTo make food more tender, especially by beating, pounding, marinating, or cooking it. By extension, to make someone or something seem gentler, more sympathetic, or less objectionable.
- To make food physically tender or easier to chew, especially by beating, pounding, marinating, enzymatic treatment, or suitable cooking.
- To make a person, audience, or issue seem gentler, more sympathetic, or less objectionable.
"Marinate the beef overnight to tenderize it before grilling."
"Marinate the beef overnight to tenderize it before grilling."
"The ambassador's conciliatory remarks helped tenderize the hostile audience."
One verb, three kitchen jobs: pounding, marinating, and slow cooking can all tenderize a tough cut.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tenderize come from?
Tenderize is a 19th-century English formation built from tender and the suffix -ize. Tender came through Old French tendre from Latin tener, meaning “soft, delicate, or tender,” creating a semantic link to making flesh softer and people or audiences more receptive. The same root underlies tender, tenderness, and tenderly.
Related word forms
How tenderize is actually used
The culinary use is standard and literal, while the figurative use is less common and often suggests reducing resistance or hostility. It is normally transitive, meaning that it names an action performed on something.
Easily confused with tenderize
Tenderise is the standard British spelling of the same verb rather than a word with a different meaning.