STRAINED: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for STRAINED?

Need another word that means the same as “strained”? Find 51 synonyms and 30 related words for “strained” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Strained” are: labored, laboured, agonistic, constrained, forced, drawn, careworn, worn, pinched, tired, exhausted, weary, fatigued, drained, awkward, tense, uneasy, uncomfortable, fraught, edgy, difficult, troubled, embarrassed, unrelaxed, stilted, wooden, stiff, self-conscious, hollow, unnatural, unbelievable, hard to believe, unconvincing, implausible, improbable, not in the least likely, questionable, dubious, doubtful, inconceivable, unthinkable, unimaginable, impossible, astonishing, astounding, breathtaking, staggering, absurd, preposterous, phenomenal, extraordinary

Strained as an Adjective

Definitions of "Strained" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “strained” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• (of a limb or muscle) injured by overexertion or twisting.
• (of a mainly liquid substance) having been strained to separate out any solid matter.
• Lacking natural ease.
• Lacking spontaneity; not natural.
• Not relaxed or comfortable; tense or uneasy.
• Far-fetched; laboured.
• Showing signs of mental and emotional tension.
• Produced by deliberate effort rather than spontaneously; artificial or forced.
• Showing signs of nervous tension or tiredness.
• Struggling for effect.

Synonyms of "Strained" as an adjective (51 Words)

absurd	Arousing amusement or derision; ridiculous. The allegations are patently absurd.
agonistic	Relating to or acting as an agonist. An agonistic exchange.
astonishing	Extremely surprising or impressive; amazing. An astonishing achievement.
astounding	Bewildering or striking dumb with wonder. The summit offers astounding views.
awkward	Uncomfortable or abnormal. An awkward dancer.
breathtaking	Tending to cause suspension of regular breathing. The scene was one of breathtaking beauty.
careworn	Showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering. A careworn expression.
constrained	Severely restricted in scope, extent, or activity. Many families are operating under constrained budgets.
difficult	Characterized by or causing hardships or problems. A difficult task.
doubtful	Unsettled in mind or opinion. I was doubtful of my judgement.
drained	Drained of electric charge discharged. A drained and apathetic old man not caring any longer about anything.
drawn	(of a person) looking strained from illness, exhaustion, anxiety, or pain. The drawn draperies kept direct sunlight from fading the rug.
dubious	Of questionable value. Timeshare has been brought into disrepute by dubious sales methods.
edgy	Being in a tense state. Tremendously edgy brass playing.
embarrassed	Feeling or caused to feel uneasy and self-conscious. An embarrassed silence.
exhausted	Drained of energy or effectiveness extremely tired completely exhausted. The day s events left her completely exhausted her strength drained.
extraordinary	Unusually great. An extraordinary desire for approval.
fatigued	Drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted.
forced	Forced or compelled. Forced heartiness.
fraught	Marked by distress. A fraught mother daughter relationship.
hard to believe	Given to excessive indulgence of bodily appetites especially for intoxicating liquors.
hollow	As if echoing in a hollow space. The result was a hollow victory.
implausible	(of an argument or statement) not seeming reasonable or probable; failing to convince. This is a blatantly implausible claim.
impossible	Very difficult to deal with. An impossible dream.
improbable	Too improbable to admit of belief. This account of events was seen by the jury as most improbable.
inconceivable	Totally unlikely. It seemed inconceivable that the president had been unaware of what was going on.
labored	Lacking natural ease. The subject made for labored reading.
laboured	Requiring or showing effort. His breathing was laboured.
not in the least likely	Directed or bound inward.
phenomenal	Of or relating to a phenomenon. The town expanded at a phenomenal rate.
pinched	Sounding as if the nose were pinched. Her pinched toes in her pointed shoes were killing her.
preposterous	So unreasonable as to invite derision. A preposterous suggestion.
questionable	Subject to question. A questionable reputation.
self-conscious	Aware of yourself as an individual or of your own being and actions and thoughts- D.M.Potter.
staggering	Deeply shocking; astonishing. Suffered a staggering defeat.
stiff	Full of. The place is stiff with alarm systems.
stilted	(of an arch) with pieces of upright masonry between the imposts and the springers. We made stilted conversation.
tense	Pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles e g the vowel sound in beat. He was tense with excitement.
tired	Repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse. Fisher rubbed his tired eyes.
troubled	Characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination. His troubled face.
unbelievable	So great or extreme as to be difficult to believe; extraordinary. Unbelievable or not it happened.
uncomfortable	Causing or feeling slight pain or physical discomfort. He began to feel uncomfortable at the man s hard stare.
unconvincing	Not convincing. She felt the lie was unconvincing.
uneasy	(of a situation or relationship) not settled; liable to change. She fell into an uneasy sleep.
unimaginable	Difficult or impossible to imagine or comprehend. Lives of almost unimaginable deprivation.
unnatural	Speaking or behaving in an artificial way to make an impression. The child s unnatural interest in death.
unrelaxed	Nor relaxed. His life was drawing to a close in baffled zeal and unrelaxed strain.
unthinkable	(of a situation or event) too unlikely or undesirable to be considered a possibility. The unthinkable happened I spoke up.
weary	Reluctant to see or experience any more of; tired of. He gave a long weary sigh.
wooden	Like or characteristic of wood. The actor s performance was wooden.
worn	Showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering. His knees were encased in worn plus fours.

Usage Examples of "Strained" as an adjective

• Jean's pale, strained face.
• She gave a strained laugh.
• A strained smile.
• My example may seem a little strained.
• Relations between the two countries were strained.
• A constrained smile.
• There was a strained silence.
• Her voice was strained as she asked the question.

Associations of "Strained" (30 Words)

aroused	Aroused to action. The aroused opposition.
constrained	Appearing forced or overly controlled. He was acting in a constrained manner.
constricted	Inhibited; restricted. Constricted air passages.
defuse	Make (a situation) less tense or dangerous. Explosives specialists tried to defuse the grenade.
dejection	A sad and depressed state; low spirits. He was slumped in deep dejection.
excitability	Being easily excited.
flighty	Unpredictably excitable (especially of horses. Her mother was a flighty Southern belle.
fretful	Feeling or expressing distress or irritation. The baby was crying with a fretful whimper.
irritability	The quality or state of being irritable. Symptoms include insomnia and irritability.
jittery	Nervous or unable to relax. Caffeine makes me jittery.
nervous	Of or relating to the nervous system. Nervous energy.
nervously	In an anxiously nervous manner. I was blushing and smiling nervously.
nervy	Being in a tense state. It was kind of nervy for Billy to be telling him how to play.
paralyze	Cause to be paralyzed and immobile. The bureaucracy paralyzes the entire operation.
peevish	Having or showing an irritable disposition. A thin peevish voice.
petulance	An irritable petulant feeling. A slight degree of petulance had crept into his voice.
querulous	Habitually complaining. She became querulous and demanding.
restlessly	In a restless manner.
sensitize	Cause (someone or something) to respond to certain stimuli; make sensitive. Long term exposure to this medicine may sensitize you to the allergen.
skittish	(of a person) playfully frivolous or unpredictable. A skittish chestnut mare.
stressed	Strengthened by the application of stress during manufacture prestressed. He dropped out of the race clearly distressed and having difficulty breathing.
taut	(especially of muscles or nerves) tense; not relaxed. The fabric stays taut without adhesive.
temper	Make more temperate acceptable or suitable by adding something else. The way a smith would temper a sword.
tense	Become stretched or tense or taut. He got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up.
troubled	Characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination. Troubled teenagers.
uneasy	Relating to bodily unease that causes discomfort. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.
unnatural	Contrary to the ordinary course of nature; abnormal. Death by unnatural causes.
uptight	Anxious or angry in a tense and overly controlled way. He is so uptight about everything.
volatility	The trait of being unpredictably irresolute. The volatility of chemicals in an indoor environment.