# tens

/ˈtɛnz/ (US) · /tˈɛnz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/tens
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. groups of ten

noun · CEFR A2

more than one group of ten things.

For teachers: the plural form of the cardinal number ten, used to denote multiple sets of ten units.

- The teacher asked the children to count the beads in tens.
- The data was organized into tens to make the large-scale survey results easier for the analysts to process at a glance.

### 2. an approximate number

noun · CEFR B1

a large but inexact number of things, usually between 20 and 100.

For teachers: an indefinite but significant quantity, typically ranging from twenty to ninety-nine.

- Tens of thousands of people gathered in the square for the concert.
- Tens of protesters remained outside the embassy long after the sun had set, refusing to leave until their demands were heard.

### 3. the decade

noun · CEFR B2

the years in a century that end in 10 through 19.

For teachers: the period of years from '10 to '19 within a given century.

- Fashion changed quite a lot during the tens.
- The early tens saw a massive shift in how people consumed digital media compared to the previous decade.

### 5. a perfect score

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

perfect scores or people who are considered very attractive.

For teachers: plural instances of the highest possible rating on a scale of one to ten.

- The gymnast received straight tens from all the judges.
- After a flawless performance, the athlete was delighted to see a row of tens appear on the scoreboard.

## Examples

- There were tens of people waiting in line for the new phone.
- The storm caused damage to tens of houses along the coast, leaving many families without power.
- While the initial report suggested only a few minor errors, a closer inspection revealed tens of inconsistencies that compromised the entire study's validity.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.