strained

adjective

ˈstrānd 

1

: done or produced with excessive effort

a strained smile

2

: pushed by antagonism near to open conflict

strained relations

Synonyms of strained

• mock
• unnatural
• affected
• exaggerated
• false
• forced
• artificial
• contrived
• fake
• simulated
• mechanical
• assumed
• pseudo

Examples of strained in a Sentence

He made a strained attempt at being polite.

I took the complaint manager's strained smile to mean I wasn't a welcome sight.

Recent Examples on the Web

The film centers on the strained relationship between a teenager struggling with substance abuse and his father, a former actor now running for governor. —Zack Sharf, Variety, 16 Dec. 2025

Notably, the listing current does not leverage Kiffin’s celebrity to market the property, perhaps for obvious reasons, given his currently strained standing in the Magnolia State after ditching Ole Miss for an SEC rival during the Rebels’ College Football Playoff push. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 13 Dec. 2025

But even strained relationships can be fixed with the right support, experts say. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Dec. 2025

Emotions are high as Tommy speaks of his upbringing and his strained relationship with his parents. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for strained

• abstained
• arraigned
• attained
• bloodstained
• campaigned
• complained
• constrained
• contained
• curtained
• detained
• disdained
• distrained

Kids Definition

strained

adjective

ˈstrānd 

1

: not easy or natural : forced

a strained smile

2

: brought close to war

strained relations between countries