tennis

noun

ten·​nis ˈte-nəs How to pronounce tennis (audio)
often attributive
1
: an indoor or outdoor game that is played with rackets and a light elastic ball by two players or pairs of players on a level court (as of clay or grass) divided by a low net
2
: court tennis

Examples of tennis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Once the tennis ball was lined up, Howell couldn’t move her mark, lean forward, or change her position in any way because then the blood would hit in the wrong place. — Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026 Gunna somehow returns one of Gauff’s blistering serves into the net to kick off the clip, which impresses the 22-year-old tennis star. — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2026 State Farm Arena generates more than $100 million in annual gross revenue from concerts and events that range from tennis to rodeo to WWE to boxing. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Kids are top of mind here with seasonal events, and during the summer, kids can take part in the golf, tennis, and swimming offerings. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tennis

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tenetz, tenys, perhaps borrowed from Anglo-French tenez, 2nd person plural imperative of tenir "to hold" — more at tenant entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of tennis was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing tennis

Rhymes for tennis

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Browse Nearby Words

tennies
tennis
tennis ball
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Cite this Entry

“Tennis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tennis. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tennis

noun
ten·​nis ˈten-əs How to pronounce tennis (audio)
: a game played with rackets and a light elastic ball by two players or two pairs of players on a level court divided by a low net

More from Merriam-Webster on tennis

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tennis

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