Tense - definition, pronunciation, transcription

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Amer.  |tens|  American pronunciation of the word tense
Brit.  |tens|  British pronunciation of the word tense

noun

- a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time

verb

- become stretched or tense or taut (syn: strain)
the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed
- increase the tension on
alternately relax and tense your calf muscle
tense the rope manually before tensing the spring
- become tense, nervous, or uneasy
He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room
- cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious (syn: strain)
he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up

adjective

- in or of a state of physical or nervous tension
- pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat')
- taut or rigid; stretched tight
tense piano strings

Extra examples

The sentence will read better if you change the tense of the verb.

You should avoid changing tense in the middle of a paragraph.

She was feeling pretty tense.

Why are you so tense?

We sat quietly for a few tense moments.

It was a tense meeting.

My calf muscles are really tense.

She tensed as he walked toward her.

He tensed up and missed the putt.

Waiting for an operation tends to tense most people up.

Marion spoke, eager to break the tense silence.

Is anything wrong? You look a little tense.

Massage is great if your neck and back are tense.

She tried to relax her tense muscles.

Relax, and try not to tense up so much.

Word forms

verb
I/you/we/they: tense
he/she/it: tenses
present participle: tensing
past tense: tensed
past participle: tensed
noun
singular: tense
plural: tenses
adjective
comparative: tenser
superlative: tensest
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