strained

1 of 2

adjective

ˈstrānd 

1

: done or produced with excessive effort

a strained smile

2

: pushed by antagonism near to open conflict

strained relations

strained

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of strain entry 2

Synonyms of strained

Adjective

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

Examples of strained in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

In a time of strained Spanish-American relations, Kuss is doing his part in easing diplomatic tensions. — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Stylistically aligned with ‘Ida’ and ‘Cold War‘ to perhaps complete a loose trilogy, ‘Fatherland’ opens an intentionally narrow window onto the strained relationship between Mann and Erika after his 16 years of exile in the United States. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026

Without these regulations, Wessel said, trade becomes delayed, supply chains become strained, and consumer prices rise—a threat large enough for CSG to issue a public statement about it. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026

Trust had eroded, communication had become strained, and both teams were frustrated. — Chris Suchánek, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

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