strained
/streind/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Lacking natural ease or spontaneity; forced or artificial: Describing something that appears contrived, not genuine, or done with effort rather than flowing naturally.
- Showing signs of mental, emotional, or physical tension: Describing a state of being stretched tight, under pressure, or stressed.
- Weakened or damaged by excessive force or pressure: In a technical or figurative sense, referring to something pushed beyond its normal limits.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- After the argument, there was a strained silence in the room.
- She gave a strained smile, trying to hide her disappointment.
- His voice sounded strained as he delivered the difficult news.
- The strained relations between the two countries led to border closures.
Advanced Usage
- "to be strained": to be under tension or stress.
- The cable was strained to its breaking point.
- "a strained interpretation": a forced or unnatural understanding of something.
- His strained interpretation of the law was rejected by the court.
Variants and Related Words
- Strain (verb/noun): To stretch or exert to the utmost; a force causing such stretching.
- Verb: Be careful not to strain your back.
- Noun: The constant strain of work affected his health.
- Unstrained (adjective): Not strained; natural or relaxed.
- Their conversation was easy and unstrained.
Synonyms
- Forced: Done with effort; not spontaneous.
- Tense: Stretched tight; showing mental or nervous strain.
- Labored: Done with great effort; not effortless.
- Artificial: Not arising from natural feelings; contrived.
Related Phrases
- Strained to hear: Making a great effort to listen.
- The audience was strained to hear the speaker's whisper.
- Strained through a sieve: Passed through a sieve to separate solids (literal usage).
- The sauce should be strained through a sieve to remove lumps.
Related Idioms
- Strained relations: A state of tension or unfriendliness between people or groups.
- The diplomatic incident resulted in strained relations for years.
- A strained atmosphere: An environment filled with tension and discomfort.
- There was a strained atmosphere during the family dinner.
Adjective
- struggling for effect
- agonistic poses
- lacking spontaneity; not natural
- a constrained smile
- forced heartiness
- a strained smile
- showing signs of mental and emotional tension
- her voice was strained as she asked the question
- lacking natural ease
- a labored style of debating