Synonyms for tense
tɛns

Princeton's WordNet(2.78 / 9 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. tense(adj)

   a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time

   Antonyms:
   limp, loose-jointed, laid-back, relaxed, loose, sagging, lax, tensionless, floppy, drooping, unstrained, mellow, droopy, slack, degage, loosen up, unstrain, slow down, relax, unwind, make relaxed, decompress, unlax, unbend

2. tense(adj)

   in or of a state of physical or nervous tension

   Antonyms:
   loose-jointed, slack, drooping, lax, droopy, degage, mellow, limp, sagging, floppy, loose, relaxed, tensionless, laid-back, unstrained, unwind, decompress, relax, unlax, loosen up, unbend, unstrain, slow down, make relaxed

3. tense(adj)

   pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat')

   Antonyms:
   droopy, loose-jointed, sagging, lax, degage, loose, slack, unstrained, limp, floppy, mellow, laid-back, relaxed, drooping, tensionless, relax, unlax, unwind, unbend, unstrain, loosen up, make relaxed, slow down, decompress

4. tense(verb)

   taut or rigid; stretched tight

   "tense piano strings"

   Antonyms:
   slack, lax, droopy, limp, loose-jointed, unstrained, relaxed, drooping, sagging, laid-back, degage, mellow, loose, floppy, tensionless, unwind, make relaxed, relax, decompress, unstrain, slow down, unbend, unlax, loosen up

5. strain, tense(verb)

   become stretched or tense or taut

   "the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed;" "the rope strained when the weight was attached"

   Synonyms:
   sieve, separate out, strain, filter out, tense up, reach, puree, try, sift, filter, extend, distort, strive, filtrate, deform, stress

   Antonyms:
   limp, loose-jointed, relaxed, mellow, drooping, droopy, unstrained, floppy, degage, laid-back, lax, slack, sagging, loose, tensionless, loosen up, unwind, relax, unbend, make relaxed, unstrain, slow down, unlax, decompress

6. tense(verb)

   increase the tension on

   "alternately relax and tense your calf muscle"; "tense the rope manually before tensing the spring"

   Synonyms:
   strain, tense up

   Antonyms:
   lax, limp, tensionless, floppy, relaxed, mellow, slack, loose, droopy, unstrained, laid-back, loose-jointed, sagging, degage, drooping, slow down, relax, loosen up, unlax, unwind, decompress, unstrain, make relaxed, unbend

7. tense, tense up(verb)

   become tense, nervous, or uneasy

   "He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room"

   Synonyms:
   strain, tense up

   Antonyms:
   sagging, lax, floppy, degage, loose-jointed, laid-back, limp, mellow, unstrained, slack, relaxed, drooping, tensionless, droopy, loose, unwind, slow down, make relaxed, relax, decompress, loosen up, unlax, unbend, unstrain

8. tense, strain, tense up(verb)

   cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious

   "he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up"

   Synonyms:
   sieve, separate out, reach, strain, filter out, tense up, stress, puree, try, sift, filter, extend, distort, strive, filtrate, deform

   Antonyms:
   relaxed, sagging, lax, droopy, limp, loose, floppy, laid-back, drooping, mellow, tensionless, slack, unstrained, degage, loose-jointed, unbend, unstrain, slow down, unlax, unwind, decompress, relax, make relaxed, loosen up

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. nervous

   Submitted by anonymous on September 30, 2020  

2. sitting on thorns

   Submitted by anonymous on January 5, 2021  

Dictionary of English Synonymes(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate these synonyms:

1. tense(a.)

   Synonyms:
   tight, stretched, strained, TAUGHT, rigid, not loose, not lax

PPDB, the paraphrase database(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these paraphrases:

1. List of paraphrases for "tense":

   strained, restive, tension, taut, nervous, jittery, high-strung, tight, voltage, fraught, uptight, intense, intensive, volatile, stretched

How to pronounce tense?

How to say tense in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use tense in a sentence?

1. Daniel Eyre:

   It is a tense time around elections and security forces are already stretched thin, displaced people are already struggling for food, access to clean water and healthcare facilities.

2. Timothy Lam:

   The police had a lot of equipment, they were very tense and searching people. The students sang this to show they were peaceful.

3. Isa Nichols:

   Normally an edit is a past tense process, cutting material that you’ve already shot. With this, a crucial creative element was coming in until we virtually locked the film. the things that they found out gave me more insight in terms of who this young man really was.

4. Joan Lunden:

   Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life.

5. Sartaj Aziz:

   I don't see the relations are tense at the moment, they are moving in the right direction and there are of course differences, but I don't think there is any major crisis in the relationship.

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