Definition

1. Noun:

   • Intense or violent exertion; a state of tension: "strain" refers to a state of being stretched tight, often due to physical or mental effort or pressure.
   • An injury to a muscle or tendon: It can mean an injury, often from overuse, resulting in pain and swelling.
   • A breed, variety, or type within a species: In biology, it denotes a genetic variant or subtype of an organism.
   • A particular tone, style, or tendency: It can refer to a prevailing character, quality, or trend in speech, writing, or behavior.
   • A melody or tune: In music or poetry, it can mean a sequence of notes or a passage.

2. Verb:

   • To exert or stretch to the utmost: To make a strenuous effort, to push oneself or something to its limits.
   • To injure by overuse or overexertion: To damage a muscle or tendon by forcing it beyond its capacity.
   • To stretch tightly: To pull or draw something taut.
   • To filter or separate: To pass a substance through a sieve or filter to remove solid particles.
   • To make a great effort: To try extremely hard, often with difficulty.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The mental strain of the job was overwhelming. (The psychological pressure from the job was very high.)
  • He suffered a muscle strain while lifting the heavy box. (He injured his muscle from overexertion while lifting.)
  • This is a new strain of the virus. (This is a newly identified genetic variant of the virus.)
  • There was a strain of sadness in her voice. (Her voice had a quality of sadness.)

• Verb:

  • Don't strain your eyes by reading in poor light. (Do not overexert your eyes by reading in dim light.)
  • She strained to hear the whisper. (She made a great effort to listen to the quiet sound.)
  • Strain the pasta to remove the water. (Filter the pasta to separate it from the cooking water.)
  • The rope strained under the heavy weight. (The rope became very tight from the heavy load.)

Advanced Usage

• "to strain a point": to go beyond what is normally acceptable or reasonable; to make a concession.

  • I'll strain a point and allow you an extra day. (I will make an exception and give you one more day.)

• "to strain at the leash": to be very eager to begin or do something.

  • The team is straining at the leash to start the new project. (The team is very eager and impatient to begin.)

• "to strain credulity": to be very difficult to believe.

  • His excuse strained credulity. (His excuse was hard to believe.)

Variants and Related Words

• Strained (adj): showing signs of tension or nervousness; not relaxed or natural.

  • There was a strained silence in the room. (The silence was tense and uncomfortable.)

• Strainer (n): a device used for straining liquids, typically a kitchen utensil.

  • Pour the soup through a strainer. (Filter the soup using a sieve.)

Synonyms

• Noun: Tension, stress, pressure, exertion, injury, sprain, variety, breed, tone, melody.
• Verb: Exert, stretch, pull, filter, sift, strive, struggle, injure, overwork.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Strain off: to separate a liquid from solids by pouring it through a strainer.

  • Strain off the excess fat from the broth. (Remove the fat by filtering the broth.)

• Strain at: to pull very hard against something; to have difficulty accepting something.

  • The dog strained at its leash. (The dog pulled hard against its leash.)

Related Idioms

• Strain every nerve: to make the utmost effort.

  • They strained every nerve to finish the work on time. (They made an extraordinary effort to complete the work by the deadline.)

• A strain of something: a trace or element of a particular quality.

  • He has a strain of madness in his family. (There is a history of mental instability in his family.)

Noun

1. the act of singing
   • with a shout and a song they marched up to the gates
2. an intense or violent exertion
3. an effortful attempt to attain a goal
4. the general meaning or substance of an utterance
   • although I disagreed with him I could follow the tenor of his argument
5. injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in swelling and pain
6. (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups
   • a new strain of microorganisms
7. a special variety of domesticated animals within a species
   • he experimented on a particular breed of white rats
   • he created a new strain of sheep
8. (psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress
   • his responsibilities were a constant strain
   • the mental strain of staying alert hour after hour was too much for him
9. a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
   • she was humming an air from Beethoven
10. difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension
    • she endured the stresses and strains of life
    • he presided over the economy during the period of the greatest stress and danger- R.J.Samuelson
11. (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces

Verb

1. alter the shape of (something) by stress
   • His body was deformed by leprosy
2. rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender
   • puree the vegetables for the baby
3. remove by passing through a filter
   • filter out the impurities
4. become stretched or tense or taut
   • the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed
   • the rope strained when the weight was attached
5. cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious
   • he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up
6. separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements
   • sift the flour
7. use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity
   • He really extended himself when he climbed Kilimanjaro
   • Don't strain your mind too much
8. test the limits of
   • You are trying my patience!
9. to exert much effort or energy
   • straining our ears to hear