tenser; tensest
1
: stretched tight : made taut : rigid
tense muscles
2
a
: feeling or showing nervous tension
a tense smile
b
: marked by strain or suspense
a tense thriller
3
: produced with the muscles involved in a relatively tense state
the vowels \ē\ and \ü\ in contrast with the vowels \i\ and \u̇\ are tense
tensely
adverb
tenseness
noun
tensed; tensing
: to make tense
: to become tense
tensed up and missed the putt
1
: a distinction of form in a verb to express distinctions of time or duration of the action or state it denotes
2
a
: a set of inflectional forms of a verb that express distinctions of time
b
: an inflectional form of a verb expressing a specific time distinction
Examples of tense in a Sentence
Adjective
She was feeling pretty tense.
Why are you so tense?
We sat quietly for a few tense moments.
It was a tense meeting.
My calf muscles are really tense.
Verb
She tensed as he walked toward her.
He tensed up and missed the putt.
Noun
The sentence will read better if you change the tense of the verb.
You should avoid changing tense in the middle of a paragraph.
Recent Examples on the Web
Anthony Slater, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
At one point, he's shown punching a wooden door, and his relationship with girlfriend Dawn Staples, played by Emily Blunt, seems tense.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2025
Moore briefly smiled, may have tensed her jaw and uttered one word to the person next to her, according to a lip-reader hired by the Daily Mail to decipher her reaction.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
Something a bit less strange: nobody at Newcastle is talking about Guimaraes in the past tense now.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tense
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Adjective
In a tense Monday-night matchup in San Francisco, the Golden State Warriors held off the Houston Rockets 109-106 to take a 3-1 lead in their Western Conference first-round series.
—Anthony Slater, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
At one point, he's shown punching a wooden door, and his relationship with girlfriend Dawn Staples, played by Emily Blunt, seems tense.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Verb
Sigmon’s arms briefly tensed when he was shot, and the target was blasted off his chest.
—Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2025
Moore briefly smiled, may have tensed her jaw and uttered one word to the person next to her, according to a lip-reader hired by the Daily Mail to decipher her reaction.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
The movie powerfully conveys the eerie sense of experiencing history in the present tense.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
Something a bit less strange: nobody at Newcastle is talking about Guimaraes in the past tense now.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tense
Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tense. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tense
1 of 3 noun
: a form of a verb used to show the past, present, or future time of the action or state it denotes
tense
2 of 3 adjective
tenser; tensest
1
: stretched tight : made rigid
tense muscles
2
: feeling or showing nervous tension
a tense smile
3
: marked by strain or uncertainty
a tense moment
tensely
adverb
tenseness
noun
tense
3 of 3 verb
tensed; tensing
: to make or become tense
Etymology
Noun
Middle English tens "time, tense," from early French tens (same meaning), from Latin tempus "time" — related to temporary
Adjective
from Latin tensus "stretched tight," from tendere "to stretch" — related to tender entry 2
Medical Definition
tense
2 of 2 verb
tensed; tensing
: to make tense
tense a muscle
: to become tense
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