tense

adjective \ ˈten(t)s \

Definition of tense

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

See tense defined for English-language learners

Examples of tense in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of tense from the Web

But extra-time was imminent, and, depsite the visitors' late dominance, another 30 minutes of tense, painstaking play-off football was required.

— SI.com, "Sheff Wed 1-1 Huddersfield AET (3-4 Pens): Terriers Reach Play-Off Final With Shootout Win," 19 July 2017
The night ended on a tense note, as the room turned its attention to CB60, which would allow mulching practices on agricultural preservation easement land as an accessory to a tree farm.

— kate magill, Howard County Times, "Council hearing leads to tabling of APFO, mulching bills until September," 18 July 2017
Wang's conviction comes at a particularly tense time for U.S.-Iranian relations, which have rapidly deteriorated since President Donald Trump took office.

— erin cunningham, Alaska Dispatch News, "Jailed American scholar can appeal his spying verdict, Iran’s judiciary says," 17 July 2017
That evening, Sherven had attended a tense, crowded gathering at Mount Horeb High School, where DNR officials presented their kill-all-the-deer plan.

— rick romell, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "With deer hunting woven into our cultural and economic fabric, a threat to the herd could turn catastrophic," 6 July 2017
Accompanying Tebo at the scene were several NOPD graduates from the department's Crisis Intervention Team, who have received specialized training in defusing tense situations involving the mentally disturbed.

— ken daley, NOLA.com, "St. Charles Avenue closure forced by man dangling outside Gallier Hall," 1 July 2017
The US State Department's approval of the sale – the first since December 2015 – follows a tense year between China and Taiwan.

— ralph jennings, The Christian Science Monitor, "US announces arms sales to Taiwan, China cries foul," 1 July 2017
Maduro condemned the violence but with a stern warning to his opponents that's likely to only further inflame an already tense situation.

— joshua goodman, The Christian Science Monitor, "Helicopter open fires on Venezuelan Supreme Court, but was it staged?," 28 June 2017
We’re treated to a tense beach scene (Debra is dressed as a lady of the evening circa 1872) before everyone (including Simon, sans David) goes out to discuss important issues over, what else, pedicures!

— mark shrayber, Cosmopolitan, "Amber Makes Matt Take a Lie Detector Test in the Explosive Teen Mom OG Season Finale," 27 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tense.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tense

Latin tensus, from past participle of tendere to stretch — more at thin

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First Known Use: 1668

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tense Synonyms

Synonyms

aflutter, antsy, anxious, atwitter, dithery, edgy, goosey, het up, hinky [slang], hung up, ill at ease, insecure, jittery, jumpy, nervy, perturbed, queasy (also queazy), nervous, troubled, uneasy, unquiet, upset, uptight, worried

Antonyms

calm, collected, cool, easy, happy-go-lucky, nerveless, relaxed

Near Antonyms

confident, self-assured, self-confident, sure; controlled, self-controlled

tense

verb

Definition of tense

tensed; tensing

transitive verb

:to make tense

intransitive verb

:to become tense

tensed up and missed the putt

See tense defined for English-language learners

Examples of tense in a Sentence

She tensed as he walked toward her.
He tensed up and missed the putt.

Recent Examples of tense from the Web

Pezzarossi should be able to control the LUKE by flexing or tensing his arm.

— robert rhoden, NOLA.com, "After years of pain, Mandeville man ready for amputation, bionic arm," 23 Aug. 2017
My body hardened, my muscles tensed and tightened, even as my mind shut down.

— jessica berger gross, Longreads, "My Parents Said I Bruised Easily," 11 July 2017
When about 100 officers suddenly marched through the crowd along the waterfront, the atmosphere tensed but there were no physical confrontations.

— jenny witt, USA TODAY, "Ahead of G-20, police and protesters clash," 6 July 2017
Tensing shot 43-year-old Sam DuBose in the head after pulling him over for a missing front license plate on July 19, 2015.

— crimesider staff, CBS News, "Ray Tensing trial: Jury deadlocks, mistrial declared in Ohio cop's murder retrial," 23 June 2017
Tensing’s first trial last year also ended with the jury deadlocked.

— kevin grasha, USA TODAY, "Jury again deadlocks in case of white Ohio officer in fatal traffic stop shooting of black motorist," 23 June 2017
DuBose hands Tensing cheap perfume housed in a bottle of even cheaper gin.

— brandon harris, New Republic, "Searching for Justice for Samuel DuBose," 20 June 2017
Despite his reputation (or perhaps because of it), Deters was aggressive in his presentation of the case, calling Tensing a liar for claiming that DuBose was speeding off as Tensing’s arm was trapped in the car.

— brandon harris, New Republic, "Searching for Justice for Samuel DuBose," 20 June 2017
Laughing when others laugh or tensing when others tense does more than ingratiate.

— jerry useem, The Atlantic, "Power Causes Brain Damage," 18 June 2017

First Known Use of tense

1676

tense Synonyms

Synonyms

strain, stretch, tauten, tighten

Antonyms

loosen, slack, slacken

Related Words

elongate, extend, lengthen; cinch, constrict

Near Antonyms

ease, relax

tense

noun

Definition of tense

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

See tense defined for English-language learners

See tense defined for kids

Examples of tense in a Sentence

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 of tense from the Web

A Havre de Grace resident, who has had run-ins with city hall in the past, accused city officials Monday night of engaging in selective code enforcement, a claim that devolved into a tense back and forth between him and the mayor.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "Havre de Grace man at odds again with city and mayor," 11 Aug. 2017
Even inside Detroit’s police department, discrimination against African-American officers led to tense and nearly deadly encounters.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "Understanding Detroit’s 1967 Upheaval 50 Years Later," 26 July 2017
Tense, dramatic moments give way to a pitch session with Hard Rock International that becomes a turning point for Overtone.

— hal boedeker, OrlandoSentinel.com, "CNBC, 'The Profit' give Orlando business national exposure," 26 June 2017
At one point, McConnell and Schumer, whose desks are near each other at the front of the chamber, engaged in a tense back and forth.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "Senate Democrats intensify criticism of emerging GOP health bill," 19 June 2017
President Donald Trump on Monday continued his tense back-and-forth with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, a day after suggesting the mayor was playing down the threat of terror following a deadly attack in the city.

— rebecca ballhaus, WSJ, "Trump Continues to Tweet About London Mayor," 5 June 2017
The author elects to tell the story in first person present tense, a choice that adds a choppy, staccato feel to things and also underlines some of the narrative discontinuities that creep into the text along the way.

— eli gottlieb, chicagotribune.com, "In 'Shtum,' parents wreck their home to find a better one for their autistic son.," 30 May 2017
The author elects to tell the story in first person present tense, a choice that adds a choppy, staccato feel to things and also underlines some of the narrative discontinuities that creep into the text along the way.

— eli gottlieb, chicagotribune.com, "In 'Shtum,' parents wreck their home to find a better one for their autistic son.," 30 May 2017
The author elects to tell the story in first person present tense, a choice that adds a choppy, staccato feel to things and also underlines some of the narrative discontinuities that creep into the text along the way.

— eli gottlieb, chicagotribune.com, "In 'Shtum,' parents wreck their home to find a better one for their autistic son.," 30 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of tense

Middle English tens time, tense, from Anglo-French, from Latin tempus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

TENSE Defined for English Language Learners

tense

noun

Definition of tense for English Language Learners

grammar : a form of a verb that is used to show when an action happened

tense

adjective

Definition of tense for English Language Learners

: nervous and not able to relax
: showing or causing nervousness
: not relaxed but hard and tight

tense

verb

Definition of tense for English Language Learners

: to make (a muscle) hard and tight
: to become nervous or tense

TENSE Defined for Kids

tense

noun \ ˈtens \

Definition of tense for Students

:a form of a verb used to show the time of the action or state

tense

adjective

Definition of tense for Students

tenser; tensest

1 :feeling or showing worry or nervousness :not relaxed

a tense smile

2 :marked by strain or uncertainty

a tense moment

3 :stretched tight

tense muscles

—

tensely

adverb

—

tenseness

noun

Word Root of tense

The Latin word tendere, meaning to “stretch” or “to spread,” and its form tentus give us the roots tend, tent, and tens. Words from the Latin tendere have something to do with stretching or spreading. A tent is a temporary shelter made from stretched out fabric. To distend is to stretch outward and swell in all directions. To extend is to stretch out. A tendon is a cord that connects a muscle to another muscle or to a bone and that stretches allowing a joint to bend. Something tense is stretched tight.

tense

verb

Definition of tense for Students

tensed; tensing

1 :to make or become worried or nervous

She tensed as the deadline grew near.

2 :to make (a muscle) hard and tight

She tensed her shoulders.

Medical Dictionary

tense

adjective \ ˈten(t)s \

medical Definition of tense

tenser; tensest

1 :stretched tight :made taut or rigid

the skeletal musculature involuntarily becomes tense
—H. G. Armstrong

2 :feeling or showing nervous tension

was tense and irritable

—

tenseness

noun

tense

verb

medical Definition of tense

tensed; tensing

transitive verb

:to make tense

tense a muscle

intransitive verb

:to become tense

Learn More about tense

See words that rhyme with tense Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tense Spanish Central: Translation of tense Nglish: Translation of tense for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tense for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tense

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tense

Definition of tense

tensely

tenseness

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Origin and Etymology of tense

tense Synonyms

Synonyms

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tense

Definition of tense

Examples of tense in a Sentence

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First Known Use of tense

tense Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

tense

Definition of tense

Examples of tense in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of tense

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Related Phrases

TENSE Defined for English Language Learners

tense

Definition of tense for English Language Learners

tense

Definition of tense for English Language Learners

tense

Definition of tense for English Language Learners

TENSE Defined for Kids

tense

Definition of tense for Students

tense

Definition of tense for Students

tensely

tenseness

Word Root of tense

tense

Definition of tense for Students

Medical Dictionary

tense

medical Definition of tense

tenseness

tense

medical Definition of tense

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