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

While the Chinese model reduces upfront budget pressures on fiscally-strained African states, governments across the continent will now rely heavily on a small number of firms for hardware maintenance, modernization, and training. —Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 7 May 2026

The result is strained effort without rhythm or reason. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 May 2026

The main beneficiaries of removing the Solid Waste department from the strained general fund remain Houston’s police and fire departments, which make up the majority of that fund. —Abby Church, Houston Chronicle, 5 May 2026

Once Wagner went down with a strained calf and missed the final three games, everything flipped. —Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 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