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

With Powell missing his third straight game because of a strained right groin, the Heat went with the starting lineup of Davion Mitchell, Herro, Pelle Larsson, Andrew Wiggins and Adebayo for the third consecutive game. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026

The White House pledge for tech companies responds to fears of what data center buildouts mean for everyday Americans’ strained wallets. —Eric Schmidt, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026

Spears has struggled in the years since she was released from her conservatorship and has spoken openly about her strained relationship with her family on Instagram. —Emma Banks, InStyle, 5 Mar. 2026

Embiid missed his third straight game with a strained right oblique. —CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026

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