ten

noun

ˈten 

plural tens

1

: a number that is one more than nine see Table of Numbers

2

: the 10th in a set or series

wears a ten

3

: something having 10 units or members

4

: a 10-dollar bill

5

: one deserving the highest rating

specifically : an exceptionally attractive person

ten adjective

ten pronoun, plural in construction

see also:

take ten

Synonyms of ten

• doll
• lovely
• beauty
• babe
• fox
• eyeful
• dish

Examples of ten in a Sentence

“What time is it” “It's ten.”

promised me that she would fix me up with a ten

Recent Examples on the Web

French revolutionaries sought to remake their society, executing tens of thousands of those who stood in their way. —Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

Spain and Italy could be next There are tens of thousands of troops operating elsewhere in Europe beyond Germany—many deployed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—and these troops in other countries could be the next to leave the region. —Rebecca Schneid, Time, 3 May 2026

The Italian city, a UNESCO World Heritage treasure, draws tens of millions of visitors. —Seth Doane, CBS News, 3 May 2026

Since the start of the war, Russian forces have abducted tens of thousands of Ukrainian children, according to researchers with the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health. —Shahrzad Rasekh, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, going back to Old English tīen (West Saxon), tēn, going back to Germanic *tehun (whence also Old Frisian tiān, tiēn "ten," Old Saxon tehan, Old High German zehan, Old Norse tíu, Gothic taihun), going back to Indo-European *deḱm̥, whence also Old Irish deich "ten," Welsh deg, Latin decem, Old Church Slavic desętĭ, Lithuanian dẽšimt, Albanian dhjetë, Greek déka, Armenian tasn, Tocharian A śäk, Tocharian B śak, Avestan dasa, Sanskrit daśa

Note: The Slavic, Baltic, and perhaps Albanian forms are derived from the ordinal base *deḱm̥-t-.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ten

• five-and-ten
• hang ten
• nine times out of ten
• not touch (someone or something) with a ten-foot pole
• take ten
• ten a penny
• ten-eighty
• ten-gallon hat
• ten out of ten
• ten-speed
• ten-strike
• ten to one

Rhymes for ten

• ben
• bren
• chen
• den
• en
• gen
• glen
• hen
• jen
• ken
• men
• pen

Kids Definition

ten

noun

ˈten 

1

: a number that is one more than nine see number

2

: the tenth in a set or series

the ten of hearts

3

: something having ten units or members

4

: a 10-dollar bill

ten adjective or pronoun

Medical Definition

TEN

abbreviation

toxic epidermal necrolysis