Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Taut or rigid; stretched tight: Describes something that is pulled or stretched firmly, not slack.
   • Pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles: In phonetics, describes a speech sound, especially a vowel, made with more muscular tension in the tongue.
   • In or of a state of physical or nervous tension: Describes a person or situation characterized by mental strain, anxiety, or unease.

2. Noun:

   • A grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time: In grammar, a form of a verb that indicates the time (past, present, future) of the action or state.

3. Verb:

   • Cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious: To make someone feel mentally or emotionally strained.
   • Become tense, nervous, or uneasy: To become mentally or emotionally strained.
   • Increase the tension on: To make something physically tighter or more taut.
   • Become stretched or tense or taut: For a muscle, rope, or material to become physically tight.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The tense wire hummed in the wind.
  • She felt tense before her important presentation.
  • The vowel in "seat" is a tense vowel.

• Noun:

  • The verb "walked" is in the past tense.
  • English has several tenses, including present, past, and future.

• Verb:

  • The bad news tensed him up for the rest of the day.
  • He tensed when he heard the strange noise.
  • Please tense the rope before securing the knot.
  • The athlete's muscles tensed just before the race began.

Advanced Usage

• "to be tense with anticipation": To be in a state of nervous excitement while waiting for something.

  • The audience was tense with anticipation before the winner was announced.

• "a tense silence": A silence that feels uncomfortable and full of unspoken anxiety or conflict.

  • A tense silence fell over the room after the argument.

Variants and Related Words

• Tensely (adverb): In a nervous, anxious, or strained manner.

  • He waited tensely for the results.

• Tenseness (noun): The state or quality of being tense.

  • The tenseness in her voice was obvious.

• Tension (noun): The state of being stretched tight; mental or emotional strain.

  • There was a lot of tension in the air.

Synonyms

• Adjective (taut): Tight, stretched, rigid.
• Adjective (nervous): Anxious, strained, stressed, uptight.
• Noun (grammar): Verb form.
• Verb (to make tight): Tighten, strain, stretch.
• Verb (to make nervous): Stress, unsettle, agitate.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Tense up: To become tense, nervous, or physically rigid.
  • I always tense up during a dental appointment.

Related Idioms

• On tenterhooks: In a state of nervous suspense or agitation. (Note: This idiom is related to the concept of tension but does not contain the word "tense").
  • We were on tenterhooks waiting for the exam results.

Adjective

1. taut or rigid; stretched tight
   • tense piano strings
2. pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat')
3. in or of a state of physical or nervous tension

Noun

1. a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time

Verb

1. cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious
   • he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up
2. become tense, nervous, or uneasy
   • He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room
3. increase the tension on
   • alternately relax and tense your calf muscle
   • tense the rope manually before tensing the spring
4. become stretched or tense or taut
   • the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed
   • the rope strained when the weight was attached