tense

1 of 3

adjective

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

tense

2 of 3

verb

tensed; tensing

transitive verb

: to make tense

intransitive verb

: to become tense
tensed up and missed the putt

tense

3 of 3

noun

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
After a tense moment of eye contact, Sweeney tells his team to hold off on the coordinate upload and gives Kasie three minutes to prevent a war. Sara Netzley, EW.com, 5 Nov. 2024 The approval came after a tense bargaining process that included the threat of worse offers to come from the troubled plane maker’s CEO. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
Stretching When the stress response is activated, your muscles tense up as a reflex to protect against pain or injury. Noma Nazish, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 Franklin’s in-game coaching decisions and curious clock management at the end of the first half helped seal the Nittany Lions’ reputation as a team that tenses up in big games. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
The reality of the Russian present has become horrible, but the Russian future appears even more bleak: a joke that has gone viral on social media has it that English classes in Russian schools have stopped teaching the future simple tense—because Russia no longer has a simple future. Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 13 May 2022 The plans haven’t been scrapped, but Bill Briggs, the dean of academic affairs, talks about them in the past tense. Matt Krupnick, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tense 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Latin tensus, from past participle of tendere "to extend outward, stretch, spread out" — more at tender entry 3

Verb

derivative of tense entry 1

Noun

Middle English tens, borrowed from Anglo-French tens, temps "time, moment, season, tense," going back to Latin tempus "period of time, season, tense" — more at tempo

First Known Use

Adjective

1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1676, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tense was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near tense

Cite this Entry

“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tense. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids 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

1 of 2 adjective
tenser; tensest
1
: stretched tight : made taut or rigid
the skeletal musculature involuntarily becomes tenseH. G. Armstrong
2
: feeling or showing nervous tension
was tense and irritable
tenseness noun

tense

2 of 2 verb
tensed; tensing

transitive verb

: to make tense
tense a muscle

intransitive verb

: to become tense

More from Merriam-Webster on tense

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