tense
1 Americanadjective
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stretched tight, as a cord, fiber, etc.; drawn taut; rigid.
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in a state of mental or nervous strain; high-strung; taut.
a tense person.
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characterized by a strain upon the nerves or feelings.
a tense moment.
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Phonetics. pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles; narrow.
verb (used with or without object)
noun
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a category of verbal inflection that serves chiefly to specify the time of the action or state expressed by the verb.
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a set of such categories or constructions in a particular language.
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the time, as past, present, or future, expressed by such a category.
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such categories or constructions, or their meanings collectively.
adjective
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stretched or stressed tightly; taut or rigid
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under mental or emotional strain
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producing mental or emotional strain
a tense day
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(of a speech sound) pronounced with considerable muscular effort and having relatively precise accuracy of articulation and considerable duration Compare lax
in English the vowel (iː) in ``beam'' is tense
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
- tenseless adjective
- tenselessly adverb
- tenselessness noun
- tensely adverb
- tenseness noun
- untensing adjective
Etymology
Origin of tense1
First recorded in 1660–70; from Latin tēnsus, past participle of tendere “to stretch”; tend 1
Origin of tense2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tens, from Middle French, from Latin tempus “time”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It's always tense when the Glasgow giants meet, but this one will have a slightly different vibe.
From BBC
The atmosphere was tense and there was a sense of war in the air.
From BBC
It’s also dealing with the aftermath of a tense standoff with the U.S.
From MarketWatch
It proved decisive as Lewis Martin's late try for Hull set up a tense finale, but York stood firm in their final defensive set and climb to third in the early season standings.
From BBC
The phrase was used to help describe the game's tense atmosphere, born from its fixed camera angles, forever encroaching zombies and a limited supply of ammunition to shoot them with.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
