tension

1 of 2

noun

ten·​sion ˈten(t)-shən How to pronounce tension (audio)
1
a
: inner striving, unrest, or imbalance often with physiological indication of emotion
b
: a state of latent hostility or opposition between individuals or groups
c
: a balance maintained in an artistic work between opposing forces or elements
2
a
: the act or action of stretching or the condition or degree of being stretched to stiffness : tautness
3
a
: either of two balancing forces causing or tending to cause extension
b
: the stress resulting from the elongation of an elastic body
4
: a device to produce a desired tension (as in a loom)
tensional adjective
tensionless adjective

tension

2 of 2

verb

tensioned; tensioning ˈten(t)-sh(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce tension (audio)

transitive verb

: to subject to tension
especially : to tighten to a desired or appropriate degree
tensioner noun

Examples of tension in a Sentence

Noun You can see she is just filled with tension about her job. The dramatic tension was very satisfying. The author resolves the tension too soon. Political tensions in the region make it unstable. Do you sense the tension between those two? There was a lot of tension at the meeting. The book describes the tension-filled days before the war. He felt a tension between duty and love. There will always be some tension between the desire to reduce risk and the desire to make as much money as possible.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Our nation has never been able to resolve this tension. Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 There was definite tension between the two women and ultimately last week, Reba decided her time searching for love on the show was over. Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2024 Shortly after October 7, the United States moved two aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean and warned Tehran against escalating tensions with Israel. Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2024 Although Babes nails its comedic swings, the film strains to build the narrative tension and stakes needed to land its more serious moments. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 The document, which is months old but recently was leaked to news outlets, only added to the long-standing tensions between LAHSA, which receives city funding, and some on the council who have voiced distrust in the agency and its handling of data. David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 When that legislation was first implemented, regulators across the 27-nation bloc were able to weigh in on EU-wide cases before a watchdog issued a final decision, leading to tensions over jurisdiction and speed. Stephanie Bodoni, Fortune Europe, 8 Mar. 2024 Acknowledging and owning our errors diffuses tension and also demonstrates integrity and resilience. Frayda Leibtag, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 During the Meghan McCain era of the program, a series of press leaks plagued the show — including a few Page Six stories that cited alleged backstage tension between McCain and her cohosts. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below 13 Perfectly Nice Neighbors Salma, a Bangladeshi woman, moves to a new neighborhood with her family, and immediately tensions with their neighbors run high after a woman is caught vandalizing their anti-racist flag. Katie Bowlby, Country Living, 29 July 2023 In a lengthy chat with host Stephen Colbert, the director and actress spoke about everything from firing Shia LaBeouf to tension with star Florence Pugh to whether Harry Styles actually spit on Chris Pine. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2022 The roof bars tension the whole tent nicely, pulling against the stakes, so there’s no slack in the walls and no sag in the roof. Bill Gifford, Outside Online, 26 July 2022 The team will separate and individually tension each of the five sunshield layers, stretching them into their final shape. Julia Musto, Fox News, 2 Jan. 2022 Will tension between hawks and doves be the defining characteristic of Juntos going forward? Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 14 Nov. 2021 The Rolex Oyster Perpetual contained a kinetic semi-circular plate that utilized movement from the wearer’s arm to tension the mainspring, making manual winding unnecessary. Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 22 June 2021 It can be controlled and aimed easily thanks to its tensioned handles, and the included 25mm and 10mm eyepieces sit snugly and conveniently on the included accessory tray. Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2020 The degree of retention can be altered via tensioning screws on the shells. The Editors, Outdoor Life, 20 Feb. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tension.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Middle French and Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin tensiōn-, tensiō "process of drawing tight, constriction, spasm," from tendere "to extend outward, stretch, draw tight" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at tender entry 3

Verb

derivative of tension entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tension was in 1533

Dictionary Entries Near tension

Cite this Entry

“Tension.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tension. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tension

noun
ten·​sion
ˈten-chən
1
a
: the act or action of stretching or the condition or degree of being stretched to stiffness
tension of a muscle
2
a
: a state of mental unrest that is often accompanied by physical signs (as perspiring) of emotion
b
: a state of unfriendliness between individuals or groups

Medical Definition

tension

noun
ten·​sion ˈten-chən How to pronounce tension (audio)
1
a
: the act or action of stretching or the condition or degree of being stretched to stiffness
muscular tension
2
a
: either of two balancing forces causing or tending to cause extension
b
: the stress resulting from the elongation of an elastic body
3
: inner striving, unrest, or imbalance often with physiological indication of emotion
4
tensional adjective
tensionless adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on tension

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