Need another word that means the same as “tense”? Find 51 synonyms and 30 related words for “tense” in this overview.
- Tense as a Verb
- Definitions of "Tense" as a verb
- Synonyms of "Tense" as a verb (8 Words)
- Usage Examples of "Tense" as a verb
- Tense as an Adjective
- Definitions of "Tense" as an adjective
- Synonyms of "Tense" as an adjective (43 Words)
- Usage Examples of "Tense" as an adjective
- Associations of "Tense" (30 Words)
The synonyms of “Tense” are: taut, stretched tight, tight, rigid, stretched, strained, stiff, anxious, nervous, edgy, stressed, under a strain, under pressure, agitated, ill at ease, unrelaxed, in a state of nerves, in a state of agitation, fretful, uneasy, restless, worked up, keyed up, overwrought, wrought up, strung out, jumpy, fidgety, worried, apprehensive, upset, disturbed, panicky, nerve-racking, stressful, worrying, concerning, fraught, charged, nail-biting, worrisome, difficult, uncomfortable, strain, tense up, tighten, tauten, flex, contract, brace, stiffen
Tense as a Verb
Definitions of "Tense" as a verb
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “tense” as a verb can have the following definitions:
- Become tense, typically through anxiety or nervousness.
- Make (a muscle or one's body) tight or rigid.
- Cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious.
- Increase the tension on.
- Become tense, nervous, or uneasy.
- Become stretched or tense or taut.
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Synonyms of "Tense" as a verb (8 Words)
brace | Support or hold steady and make steadfast with or as if with a brace. He stood with legs braced. |
contract | Enter into a contractual arrangement. Plans to encourage people to contract out of the pension scheme. |
flex | Exhibit the strength of. The talks were seen as a way for Merkel to flex her well known diplomatic prowess. |
stiffen | Become stiff or stiffer. The regime s resistance stiffened. |
strain | Rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender. She strained the infant to her bosom again. |
tauten | Become taut or tauter. Tauten a rope. |
tense up | Become stretched or tense or taut. |
tighten | Become tight or tighter. The rope tightened. |
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Usage Examples of "Tense" as a verb
- He got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up.
- Alternately relax and tense your calf muscle.
- The bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed.
- Her body tensed up.
- Tense the rope manually before tensing the spring.
- He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room.
- Carefully stretch and then tense your muscles.
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Tense as an Adjective
Definitions of "Tense" as an adjective
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “tense” as an adjective can have the following definitions:
- In or of a state of physical or nervous tension.
- Pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat.
- Taut or rigid; stretched tight.
- (of a speech sound, especially a vowel) pronounced with the vocal muscles stretched tight.
- (especially of a muscle) stretched tight or rigid.
- Causing or characterized by anxiety and nervousness.
- Unable to relax because of nervousness, anxiety, or stimulation.
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Synonyms of "Tense" as an adjective (43 Words)
agitated | Physically disturbed or set in motion. The agitated mixture foamed and bubbled. |
anxious | (of a situation or period of time) causing or characterized by worry or nervousness. Spent an anxious night waiting for the test results. |
apprehensive | In fear or dread of possible evil or harm. Apprehensive for one s life. |
charged | Of a particle or body or system; having a net amount of positive or negative electric charge. The highly charged issue of abortion. |
concerning | Causing anxiety; worrying. A concerning breach of security. |
difficult | (of a person) not easy to please or satisfy; awkward. Nesting places on the cliffs are difficult of access. |
disturbed | Having or resulting from emotional and mental problems. The treatment of disturbed children. |
edgy | (of a musical performance or piece of writing) having an intense or sharp quality. He became edgy and defensive. |
fidgety | Nervous and unable to relax. I get nervous and fidgety at the dentist. |
fraught | Causing or affected by anxiety or stress. Words fraught with meaning. |
fretful | Habitually complaining. The baby was crying with a fretful whimper. |
ill at ease | Resulting in suffering or adversity. |
in a state of agitation | Currently fashionable. |
in a state of nerves | Holding office. |
jumpy | Being in a tense state. A jumpy pulse. |
keyed up | Serving as an essential component. |
nail-biting | Characterized by or causing suspense. |
nerve-racking | Extremely irritating to the nerves. |
nervous | Of or relating to the nervous system. Staying in the house on her own made her nervous. |
overwrought | In a state of nervous excitement or anxiety. A pseudo Gothic church far too overwrought for such a small town. |
panicky | Thrown into a state of intense fear or desperation. I started to feel panicky and breathless. |
restless | Worried and uneasy. A restless night. |
rigid | Incapable of adapting or changing to meet circumstances. Rigid bureaucratic controls. |
stiff | Powerful. A stiff measure of brandy. |
strained | Of a mainly liquid substance having been strained to separate out any solid matter. A strained smile. |
stressed | Strengthened by the application of stress during manufacture prestressed. An iambic foot consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable as in delay. |
stressful | Causing mental or emotional stress. Corporate finance work can be stressful. |
stretched | Extended or spread over a wide area or distance. Broad fields lay stretched on both sides of us. |
stretched tight | Extended or spread over a wide area or distance. |
strung out | That is on a string. |
taut | Stretched or pulled tight; not slack. The fabric stays taut without adhesive. |
tight | Of a community or other group of people having close relations tight knit. It was a tight squeeze in the tiny vestibule. |
uncomfortable | Providing or experiencing physical discomfort. An uncomfortable way of surprising me just when I felt surest. |
under a strain | Lower in rank, power, or authority. |
under pressure | Located below or beneath something else. |
uneasy | Causing or feeling anxiety; troubled or uncomfortable. An uneasy silence fell on the group. |
unrelaxed | Tense. His life was drawing to a close in baffled zeal and unrelaxed strain. |
upset | Thrown into a state of disarray or confusion. An upset stomach. |
worked up | Open. |
worried | Anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems. Not used to a city and worried about small things. |
worrisome | Causing distress or worry or anxiety. In a particularly worrisome predicament. |
worrying | Causing anxiety about actual or potential problems; alarming. A worrying time. |
wrought up | Shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort. |
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Usage Examples of "Tense" as an adjective
- Tense piano strings.
- He was tense with excitement.
- She tried to relax her tense muscles.
- Relations between the two neighbouring states were tense.
- They waited in tense silence.
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Associations of "Tense" (30 Words)
apprehensive | Relating to perception or understanding. Apprehensive about her job. |
aroused | Emotionally aroused. The aroused opposition. |
complaining | Expressing pain or dissatisfaction of resentment. A complaining boss. |
constrained | Lacking spontaneity; not natural. A constrained smile. |
constricted | Especially tense; especially in some dialects. Constricted air passages. |
cranky | (of a machine) working erratically. He was cranky after eight hours of working. |
defuse | Make (a situation) less tense or dangerous. A scheme that teaches officers how to defuse potentially explosive situations. |
excitability | Excessive sensitivity of an organ or body part. |
fractious | Unpredictably difficult in operation; likely to be troublesome. Fractious components of a communication system. |
fret | Provide a musical instrument with frets. His absence during her times awake began to fret her. |
fretful | Feeling or expressing distress or irritation. The baby was crying with a fretful whimper. |
harassment | A feeling of intense annoyance caused by being tormented. They face daily harassment and assault on the streets. |
harried | Feeling strained as a result of having demands persistently made on one; harassed. Harried detectives answer ringing phones. |
irritability | An irritable petulant feeling. Symptoms include insomnia and irritability. |
jittery | Nervous or unable to relax. Caffeine makes me jittery. |
nervous | Of or relating to the nervous system. Nervous disease. |
nervously | With nervous excitement. Kevin nervously glanced at his watch. |
nervy | Characterized or produced by apprehension or uncertainty. The nervy feats of mountaineers. |
peevish | Easily irritated or annoyed. A thin peevish voice. |
petulance | An irritable petulant feeling. A slight degree of petulance had crept into his voice. |
petulant | (of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered. A petulant shake of the head. |
querulous | Complaining in a rather petulant or whining manner. She became querulous and demanding. |
sensitize | Make sensitive to a drug or allergen. The kit sensitizes any 35 mm film in hours. |
skittish | (of a person) playfully frivolous or unpredictable. A skittish chestnut mare. |
strained | Of a mainly liquid substance having been strained to separate out any solid matter. A constrained smile. |
testy | Easily irritated or annoyed. His testy disapproving father. |
troubled | Characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination. Troubled areas. |
uneasy | Lacking a sense of security or affording no ease or reassurance. Gave an uneasy laugh. |
uptight | Anxious or angry in a tense and overly controlled way. He is so uptight about everything. |
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