Synonyms for tense
tɛnstense

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

1. tenseadjective

   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. tenseadjective

   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. tenseadjective

   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. tenseverb

   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, tenseverb

   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. tenseverb

   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 upverb

   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 upverb

   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

Matched Categories

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   • Phonetics

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. tenseadjective

   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. Braden Coleman:

   I had my NVG’s on, my night vision goggles, and I had a Raven behind me following me out, making sure that I was, you know, safe, it was a bit tense, I’m not going to lie. But I guess you don’t really think of it at the time. You just ... do what you’re trained to do.

2. Ivor Prickett:

   Their sense of uncertainty was really palpable, (They) were lucky in the sense that they managed to reach that side of country and were allowed to enter northern Iraq, which the Kurds regard as their closest thing to a homeland. That said, they were incredibly tense and uncertain, having never been to Iraq before.

3. Brandon Mitchell:

   It was just dark. It felt like every day was a funeral and watching someone die every day, it was tense every day. I wasn't nervous, but it was stressful. It was a lot of pressure.

4. Dick Cheney:

   I did everything I could [ to convince Bush to pardon him ]. Without question, Scooter Libby was the most tense element of the relationship between Dick Cheney and Vice President Mike Pence.The President, i still want to see a pardon, that's the only thing that I think is justified by the circumstances... It's a travesty. ...

5. Lynn Zakeri:

   This is a hard line for both of you, this can become tense and full of resentment, or it can be a discussion that gets you both somewhere. ‘So from what you are telling me, it is important for us to move. Tell me again the reasons why, so I fully understand them.’ Then repeat back the reasons, without judgment or tone.