tension
/'tenʃn/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The action of stretching something tight: The state of being stretched or pulled taut.
- Feelings of hostility or opposition that are not openly expressed: A strained relationship or atmosphere between people, groups, or nations.
- (Physics) A stress that produces elongation of an elastic body: A force that tends to stretch or extend a material.
- A balance between opposing elements or tendencies: A state of opposition or interplay between conflicting ideas, forces, or factors, often creating interest or suspense.
- The physical condition of being stretched or strained: The state of tightness or strain in a muscle, rope, wire, etc.
- (Psychology) A state of mental or emotional strain or suspense: A feeling of nervousness, anxiety, or mental pressure.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The tension in the rope was enough to support the weight. (The rope was stretched tight.)
- There was a lot of tension in the room after the argument. (There was an unspoken feeling of hostility.)
- Calculate the tension on the bridge cable. (Calculate the stretching force.)
- The novel uses the tension between love and duty to drive the plot. (It uses the conflict between two ideas.)
- She felt a tension in her neck muscles. (She felt tightness in her muscles.)
- The constant deadlines create a lot of tension for the team. (They create mental strain.)
Advanced Usage
- "To ease/reduce tension": To lessen feelings of strain or hostility.
- A joke can help ease tension in a difficult meeting.
- "High-tension": Describing something under great strain or, in electricity, high voltage.
- High-tension wires carry electricity over long distances. (This is a compound adjective; the target word 'tension' here refers to electrical potential.)
- "Creative tension": A positive state of conflict between ideas that leads to innovation.
- The creative tension between the two designers resulted in a brilliant product.
Variants and Related Words
- Tense (adj.): Stretched tight; feeling or showing nervous strain.
- She felt tense before her presentation.
- Tensile (adj.): Related to tension or the capacity to be stretched.
- Steel has high tensile strength.
- Hypertension (n.): Medically, high blood pressure. (A compound word where 'tension' refers to pressure.)
Synonyms
- Strain: Physical or mental pressure.
- Stress: A state of mental or emotional strain; (in physics) a force applied to an object.
- Tautness: The quality of being stretched tight.
- Hostility: Unfriendly or antagonistic feelings.
Related Phrases
- Under tension: In a state of being stretched or under strain.
- The cable is under immense tension.
- Tension mounts/increases: The feeling of strain or suspense grows stronger.
- Tension mounted as they awaited the final score.
Related Idioms
- Palm-sweating tension: Used to describe a situation causing extreme nervousness or suspense.
- The final match was palm-sweating tension until the last second.
- To break the tension: To do or say something that relieves a strained atmosphere.
- He told a funny story to break the tension.
Noun
- the action of stretching something tight
- tension holds the belt in the pulleys
- feelings of hostility that are not manifest
- he could sense her latent hostility to him
- the diplomats' first concern was to reduce international tensions
- (physics) a stress that produces an elongation of an elastic physical body
- the direction of maximum tension moves asymptotically toward the direction of the shear
- a balance between and interplay of opposing elements or tendencies (especially in art or literature)
- there is a tension created between narrative time and movie time
- there is a tension between these approaches to understanding history
- the physical condition of being stretched or strained
- it places great tension on the leg muscles
- he could feel the tenseness of her body
- (psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
- he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension
- stress is a vasoconstrictor