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)

absurdArousing amusement or derision; ridiculous.
The allegations are patently absurd.
agonisticRelating to or acting as an agonist.
An agonistic exchange.
astonishingExtremely surprising or impressive; amazing.
An astonishing achievement.
astoundingBewildering or striking dumb with wonder.
The summit offers astounding views.
awkwardUncomfortable or abnormal.
An awkward dancer.
breathtakingTending to cause suspension of regular breathing.
The scene was one of breathtaking beauty.
carewornShowing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering.
A careworn expression.
constrainedSeverely restricted in scope, extent, or activity.
Many families are operating under constrained budgets.
difficultCharacterized by or causing hardships or problems.
A difficult task.
doubtfulUnsettled in mind or opinion.
I was doubtful of my judgement.
drainedDrained 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.
dubiousOf questionable value.
Timeshare has been brought into disrepute by dubious sales methods.
edgyBeing in a tense state.
Tremendously edgy brass playing.
embarrassedFeeling or caused to feel uneasy and self-conscious.
An embarrassed silence.
exhaustedDrained of energy or effectiveness extremely tired completely exhausted.
The day s events left her completely exhausted her strength drained.
extraordinaryUnusually great.
An extraordinary desire for approval.
fatiguedDrained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted.
forcedForced or compelled.
Forced heartiness.
fraughtMarked by distress.
A fraught mother daughter relationship.
hard to believeGiven to excessive indulgence of bodily appetites especially for intoxicating liquors.
hollowAs 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.
impossibleVery difficult to deal with.
An impossible dream.
improbableToo improbable to admit of belief.
This account of events was seen by the jury as most improbable.
inconceivableTotally unlikely.
It seemed inconceivable that the president had been unaware of what was going on.
laboredLacking natural ease.
The subject made for labored reading.
labouredRequiring or showing effort.
His breathing was laboured.
not in the least likelyDirected or bound inward.
phenomenalOf or relating to a phenomenon.
The town expanded at a phenomenal rate.
pinchedSounding as if the nose were pinched.
Her pinched toes in her pointed shoes were killing her.
preposterousSo unreasonable as to invite derision.
A preposterous suggestion.
questionableSubject to question.
A questionable reputation.
self-consciousAware of yourself as an individual or of your own being and actions and thoughts- D.M.Potter.
staggeringDeeply shocking; astonishing.
Suffered a staggering defeat.
stiffFull 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.
tensePronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles e g the vowel sound in beat.
He was tense with excitement.
tiredRepeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse.
Fisher rubbed his tired eyes.
troubledCharacterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination.
His troubled face.
unbelievableSo great or extreme as to be difficult to believe; extraordinary.
Unbelievable or not it happened.
uncomfortableCausing or feeling slight pain or physical discomfort.
He began to feel uncomfortable at the man s hard stare.
unconvincingNot convincing.
She felt the lie was unconvincing.
uneasy(of a situation or relationship) not settled; liable to change.
She fell into an uneasy sleep.
unimaginableDifficult or impossible to imagine or comprehend.
Lives of almost unimaginable deprivation.
unnaturalSpeaking or behaving in an artificial way to make an impression.
The child s unnatural interest in death.
unrelaxedNor 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.
wearyReluctant to see or experience any more of; tired of.
He gave a long weary sigh.
woodenLike or characteristic of wood.
The actor s performance was wooden.
wornShowing 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)

arousedAroused to action.
The aroused opposition.
constrainedAppearing forced or overly controlled.
He was acting in a constrained manner.
constrictedInhibited; restricted.
Constricted air passages.
defuseMake (a situation) less tense or dangerous.
Explosives specialists tried to defuse the grenade.
dejectionA sad and depressed state; low spirits.
He was slumped in deep dejection.
excitabilityBeing easily excited.
flightyUnpredictably excitable (especially of horses.
Her mother was a flighty Southern belle.
fretfulFeeling or expressing distress or irritation.
The baby was crying with a fretful whimper.
irritabilityThe quality or state of being irritable.
Symptoms include insomnia and irritability.
jitteryNervous or unable to relax.
Caffeine makes me jittery.
nervousOf or relating to the nervous system.
Nervous energy.
nervouslyIn an anxiously nervous manner.
I was blushing and smiling nervously.
nervyBeing in a tense state.
It was kind of nervy for Billy to be telling him how to play.
paralyzeCause to be paralyzed and immobile.
The bureaucracy paralyzes the entire operation.
peevishHaving or showing an irritable disposition.
A thin peevish voice.
petulanceAn irritable petulant feeling.
A slight degree of petulance had crept into his voice.
querulousHabitually complaining.
She became querulous and demanding.
restlesslyIn a restless manner.
sensitizeCause (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.
stressedStrengthened 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.
temperMake more temperate acceptable or suitable by adding something else.
The way a smith would temper a sword.
tenseBecome stretched or tense or taut.
He got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up.
troubledCharacterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination.
Troubled teenagers.
uneasyRelating to bodily unease that causes discomfort.
Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.
unnaturalContrary to the ordinary course of nature; abnormal.
Death by unnatural causes.
uptightAnxious or angry in a tense and overly controlled way.
He is so uptight about everything.
volatilityThe trait of being unpredictably irresolute.
The volatility of chemicals in an indoor environment.

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