Synonyms for tension
ˈtɛn ʃənten·sion

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.7 / 3 votes

1. tension

   Synonyms:
   stretch, strain, intentness, tightness, stiffness, force, tone, effort

   Antonyms:
   looseness, relaxation, laxity, atony, slackness

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:1.3 / 4 votes

1. tension, tenseness, stressnoun

   (psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense

   "he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension"; "stress is a vasoconstrictor"

   Synonyms:
   accent, strain, latent hostility, focus, tensity, tautness, tenseness, emphasis, stress

2. tension, tensity, tenseness, tautnessnoun

   the physical condition of being stretched or strained

   "it places great tension on the leg muscles"; "he could feel the tenseness of her body"

   Synonyms:
   stress, tautness, tenseness, tightness, tensity, latent hostility

3. tensionnoun

   a balance between and interplay of opposing elements or tendencies (especially in art or literature)

   "there is a tension created between narrative time and movie time"; "there is a tension between these approaches to understanding history"

   Synonyms:
   stress, tautness, tenseness, tensity, latent hostility

4. tensionnoun

   (physics) a stress that produces an elongation of an elastic physical body

   "the direction of maximum tension moves asymptotically toward the direction of the shear"

   Synonyms:
   stress, tautness, tenseness, tensity, latent hostility

5. latent hostility, tensionnoun

   feelings of hostility that are not manifest

   "he could sense her latent hostility to him"; "the diplomats' first concern was to reduce international tensions"

   Synonyms:
   stress, tenseness, tautness, tensity, latent hostility

6. tensionnoun

   the action of stretching something tight

   "tension holds the belt in the pulleys"

   Synonyms:
   stress, tautness, tenseness, tensity, latent hostility

Matched Categories

1. • Art
   • Balance
   • Condition
   • Physics
   • Psychology
   • Strain
   • Stress
   • Stretching

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. stress

   a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.

   "he's obviously under a lot of stress"

   Submitted by rinat on August 15, 2019  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. tensionnoun

   Synonyms:
   stretching, straining

2. tensionnoun

   Synonyms:
   strain, rigor, severe effort

3. tensionnoun

   Synonyms:
   (Physics.) expansive force, elastic force

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:5.0 / 1 vote

1. List of paraphrases for "tension":

   voltage, tensions, tense, controlgear, strain, traction, stress, tensile, spanning, tensión, pressure, friction

NicknamesRate these nicknames:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of known nicknames for "Tension":

   DJ Tension

How to pronounce tension?

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How to use tension in a sentence?

1. Melanie Katzman:

   Blaming an imaginary co-worker or house staff like :' I can't believe XXX didn't take the dishes out of the dishwasher !' or' XX is a such a loud worker !' breaks the tension, it breaks the tension, it's OK to laugh. We can't be in constant overdrive.

2. Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson:

   I believe that one of the great problems for us as individuals is the depression and the tension resulting from existence in a world which is increasingly less pleasing to the eye.

3. James Mattis:

   We're sorting out obviously a period with some tension there, trade tension and all, so we'll get to the bottom of it but I don't think that we're seeing a fundamental shift in anything, we're just going through one of those periodic points where we got to learn to manage our differences.

4. Joan Borysenko:

   Some tension is necessary for the soul to grow, and we can put that tension to good use. We can look for every opportunity to give and receive love, to appreciate nature, to heal our wounds and the wounds of others, to forgive, and to serve.

5. John Pearson:

   Like the old motto of a famous Sunday paper, 'All human life was there' in the stately circle of the Mountbatten-Windsors, as the family coped in semipublic with those everlasting elements of human interest-sickness, scandal, family tension and divorce.