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Definitions for Tense

[1] stretched tight, as a cord, fiber, etc.; drawn taut; rigid.
[2] in a state of mental or nervous strain; high-strung; taut: a tense person.
[3] characterized by a strain upon the nerves or feelings: a tense moment.
[4] Phonetics . pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles; narrow. Compare lax(def 7) .
[5] to make or become tense.
[6] a category of verbal inflection that serves chiefly to specify the time of the action or state expressed by the verb.
[7] a set of such categories or constructions in a particular language.
[8] the time, as past, present, or future, expressed by such a category.
[9] such categories or constructions, or their meanings collectively.
[10] stretched or stressed tightly; taut or rigid
[11] under mental or emotional strain
[12] producing mental or emotional strain a tense day
[13] (of a speech sound) pronounced with considerable muscular effort and having relatively precise accuracy of articulation and considerable duration in English the vowel ( iː ) in ``beam'' is tense Compare lax (def. 4)
[14] (often foll by up) to make or become tense
[15] grammar a category of the verb or verbal inflections, such as present, past, and future, that expresses the temporal relations between what is reported in a sentence and the time of its utterance

Words related to Tense

strained, nervous, shaky, edgy, anxious, uneasy, apprehensive, agitated, jittery, restive, excited, stressful, firm, close, stiff, wired, shot, wreck, concerned, moved

Words nearby Tense

tenpins, tenpounder, tenrec, tens, tensas, tense, tense logic, tensegrity, tensible, tensile, tensile strength

Origin of Tense

21275–1325; Middle English tens < Middle French < Latin tempus time

Other words from Tense

tense·ly , adverb
tense·ness , noun
un·tens·ing , adjective
tense·less , adjective
tense·less·ly , adverb
tense·less·ness , noun

Word origin for Tense

C14: from Old French tens time, from Latin tempus

Synonyms for Tense

strained, close, firm, stiff, rigid, taut