strained

adjective

ˈstrānd 

1

: done or produced with excessive effort

a strained smile

2

: pushed by antagonism near to open conflict

strained relations

Synonyms of strained

• mock
• unnatural
• affected
• exaggerated
• false
• forced
• artificial
• contrived
• fake
• simulated
• mechanical
• assumed
• pseudo

Examples of strained in a Sentence

He made a strained attempt at being polite.

I took the complaint manager's strained smile to mean I wasn't a welcome sight.

Recent Examples on the Web

Caissie was a late addition to Friday's lineup after first baseman Chris Morel was scratched because of a strained oblique. —CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026

Caissie was a late addition to Friday’s lineup after first baseman Chris Morel was scratched because of a strained oblique. —ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026

Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly asked oligarchs to donate to the strained national budget as the cost of the Ukraine war soared. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026

The article inside is a strained and mincing document filled with speculation that gay-male social life is entangled with the power structure of Silicon Valley. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for strained

• abstained
• arraigned
• attained
• bloodstained
• campaigned
• complained
• constrained
• contained
• curtained
• detained
• disdained
• distrained

Kids Definition

strained

adjective

ˈstrānd 

1

: not easy or natural : forced

a strained smile

2

: brought close to war

strained relations between countries