Synonyms of tense

tense 1 of 2

adjective

ˈten(t)s 

1

as in worried

feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty

was tense about the upcoming bar exam

Synonyms & Similar Words

• worried
• nervous
• anxious
• upset
• uneasy
• troubled
• apprehensive
• uptight
• jittery
• jumpy
• hesitant
• concerned
• perturbed
• queasy
• disturbed
• bothered
• flustered
• nervy
• unquiet
• ill at ease
• insecure
• goosey
• edgy
• on pins and needles
• on edge
• antsy
• on tenterhooks
• dithery
• het up
• distraught
• restless
• preoccupied
• freaked
• hinky
• obsessed
• aflutter
• fretful
• aggrieved
• foreboding
• distressed
• atwitter
• disquieted
• vexed
• keyed up
• hung up
• shook-up
• fretting
• freaked-out
• fidgety
• unnerved
• high-strung
• unstrung
• misgiving
• undone
• fluttery
• spooky
• stewing
• qualmish
• qualmy
• skittish
• flighty
• hypertense
• twittered

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• calm
• easy
• relaxed
• collected
• cool
• nerveless
• sure
• confident
• controlled
• happy-go-lucky
• self-assured
• self-confident
• self-controlled

2

as in uneasy

marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings

a tense relationship existed between the two teachers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• uneasy
• disturbing
• anxious
• nervous
• unsettling
• restless
• fraught
• unnerving
• distressful
• creepy
• distressing
• worrisome
• disquieting
• agitating
• nail-biting
• strained
• nerve-racking
• hairy
• embarrassing
• awkward
• troublesome
• bothersome
• foreboding
• discouraging
• restive
• disheartening
• unrestful
• misgiving

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• comfortable
• quiet
• peaceful
• tranquil
• calming
• restful
• quieting
• pacific

3

as in tight

stretched with little or no give

a tense rope

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tight
• taut
• tightened
• rigid
• stiff
• unrelaxed
• inflexible
• unyielding
• firm

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loose
• lax
• slack
• relaxed
• limp
• hanging
• flaccid
• floppy
• sagging
• loosened
• flexible
• elastic
• yielding
• lank
• droopy
• resilient
• supple
• pliant
• springy
• slackened
• drooping
• stretchy

tense

2 of 2

verb

as in to tighten

to draw tight

he tensed his muscles and attempted to lift the heavy appliance onto the truck

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tighten
• stretch
• tauten
• strain
• elongate
• lengthen
• constrict
• extend
• cinch

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loosen
• relax
• ease
• slacken
• slack

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of tense

Adjective

Mars will be in Leo all month, and the tense standoff between Mars and Pluto will exacerbate an existing rivalry and entrench a growing conflict rather than de-escalate it. — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026

In a tense interview last week on Israel’s Channel 13, the reporter Raviv Drucker pressed Abraham on the film’s choice to show its subjects draped in shadow to conceal their identities—saying the approach lacks journalistic rigor. — Hannah Seligson, Vanity Fair, 28 Sep. 2026

Verb

Ewing has recognized his shoulders tensing and his upper body going stiff. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026

Be a good child, do what they’re told, be the best child, a tremble in their hands, say nothing, tensed for the knock on the door. — Literary Hub, 17 June 2026