tense — stretched tight; unable to relax because of nervousness or worry
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: stretched tight; unable to relax because of nervousness or worry
Pronunciation (IPA): /tens/
Example Sentences
- My shoulders get tense when I play video games for too long.
- The whole family was tense during the penalty shootout.
- She always confuses present and past tense when speaking English.
tense
ADJECTIVE[/tens/]
stretched tight; unable to relax because of nervousness or worry
The rope pulled tighter and tighter — until the entire bridge became tense.
The tense atmosphere felt like tension stretched across the entire room. (tense = shortened form of TENSION)
The tense suspense inside the elevator became immense when the lights suddenly went out.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Latin 'tensus', the past participle of the verb 'tendere', meaning 'to stretch' or 'to extend'. The term originally described a state of being pulled tight or taut, as when drawing a bowstring.
Breakdown
tend- (Latin tendere, to stretch) + -sus (past participle suffix, indicating a state of being stretched or extended).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My shoulders get tense when I play video games for too long.”
“The whole family was tense during the penalty shootout.”
“She always confuses present and past tense when speaking English.”
“The rope was so tense it looked like it might snap any moment.”
“Why does everyone get tense when mom starts cleaning?”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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