strain
/strein/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
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.
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
- the act of singing
- with a shout and a song they marched up to the gates
- an intense or violent exertion
- an effortful attempt to attain a goal
- the general meaning or substance of an utterance
- although I disagreed with him I could follow the tenor of his argument
- injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in swelling and pain
- (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups
- a new strain of microorganisms
- 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
- (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
- a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
- she was humming an air from Beethoven
- 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
- (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
Verb
- alter the shape of (something) by stress
- His body was deformed by leprosy
- rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender
- puree the vegetables for the baby
- remove by passing through a filter
- filter out the impurities
- become stretched or tense or taut
- the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed
- the rope strained when the weight was attached
- cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious
- he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up
- separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements
- sift the flour
- 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
- test the limits of
- You are trying my patience!
- to exert much effort or energy
- straining our ears to hear