tense

1 feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty was tense about the upcoming bar exam 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, worriedRelated Words aggrieved, bothered, concerned, disquieted, distraught, distressed, disturbed, freaked, freaked-out, shook-up; apprehensive, foreboding, hesitant, misgiving; fretful, fretting, stewing, vexed; qualmish, qualmy; flustered, twittered, undone, unnerved, unstrung; obsessed, preoccupied, restless; fidgety, flighty, fluttery, high-strung, hypertense, skittish, spookyNear Antonyms confident, self-assured, self-confident, sure; controlled, self-controlledAntonyms calm, collected, cool, easy, happy-go-lucky, nerveless, relaxed

2 marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings a tense relationship existed between the two teachers Synonyms agitating, anxious, creepy, disquieting, distressful, distressing, disturbing, fraught, hairy, nail-biting, nerve-racking (or nerve-wracking), restless, nervous, uneasy, unnerving, unsettling, worrisomeRelated Words bothersome, troublesome; foreboding, misgiving; discouraging, disheartening, strained; restive, restless, unrestful; awkward, embarrassingNear Antonyms restful; pacificAntonyms calming, comfortable, easy, peaceful, quiet, quieting, tranquil

3 stretched with little or no give a tense rope Synonyms rigid, taut, tightRelated Words firm, inflexible, stiff, tightened, unrelaxed, unyieldingNear Antonyms drooping, droopy, flaccid, floppy, hanging, lank, limp, loosened, relaxed, sagging, slackened, yielding; elastic, flexible, pliant, resilient, springy, stretchy, suppleAntonyms lax, loose, slack

to draw tight he tensed his muscles and attempted to lift the heavy appliance onto the truck Synonyms strain, stretch, tauten, tightenRelated Words elongate, extend, lengthen; cinch, constrictNear Antonyms ease, relaxAntonyms loosen, slack, slacken