Synonyms of tense

tense 1 of 3

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
• concerned
• perturbed
• queasy
• disturbed
• flustered
• hesitant
• nervy
• bothered
• unquiet
• ill at ease
• queazy
• insecure
• goosey
• edgy
• on pins and needles
• on edge
• antsy
• on tenterhooks
• dithery
• het up
• distraught
• restless
• preoccupied
• freaked
• obsessed
• hinky
• aflutter
• fretful
• aggrieved
• foreboding
• distressed
• atwitter
• disquieted
• vexed
• keyed up
• hung up
• shook-up
• fretting
• freaked-out
• fidgety
• unnerved
• high-strung
• unstrung
• undone
• misgiving
• 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
• distressful
• unnerving
• creepy
• distressing
• worrisome
• disquieting
• agitating
• nerve-wracking
• strained
• nail-biting
• 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 3

verb (1)

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

tensing

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of tense

as in tightening

to draw tight

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tightening
• stretching
• tautening
• straining
• lengthening
• elongating
• extending
• constricting
• cinching

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loosening
• relaxing
• easing
• slackening
• slacking

Examples of tense in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some tense, chaotic, and even some flashing touches of humanity in the process. —Emily Hallas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 Aug. 2024

Friday marks 10 years since the 18-year-old was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, turning the St. Louis suburb into the focal point of the national reckoning with the historically tense relationship between U.S. law enforcement and Black people. —CBS News, 9 Aug. 2024

Verb

Prosecutors say Brito resisted arrest by swinging his arms and tensing up in a struggle that brought him and an NYPD lieutenant to the ground. —Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2024

Start by curling your toes and tensing the muscles in your feet for five seconds before slowly relaxing them for 10 seconds. —Alice Oglethorpe, SELF, 10 May 2024