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tense
1[ tens ]
adjective
- stretched tight, as a cord, fiber, etc.; drawn taut; rigid.
- in a state of mental or nervous strain; high-strung; taut:
a tense person.
- characterized by a strain upon the nerves or feelings:
a tense moment.
- Phonetics. pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles; narrow. Compare lax 1( def 7 ).
verb (used with or without object)
- to make or become tense.
tense
2[ tens ]
noun
- a category of verbal inflection that serves chiefly to specify the time of the action or state expressed by the verb.
- a set of such categories or constructions in a particular language.
- the time, as past, present, or future, expressed by such a category.
- such categories or constructions, or their meanings collectively.
tense
1/ tɛns /
adjective
- stretched or stressed tightly; taut or rigid
- under mental or emotional strain
- producing mental or emotional strain
a tense day
- (of a speech sound) pronounced with considerable muscular effort and having relatively precise accuracy of articulation and considerable duration Compare lax
in English the vowel (iː) in ``beam'' is tense
verb
- often foll by up to make or become tense
tense
2/ tɛns /
noun
- grammar a category of the verb or verbal inflections, such as present, past, and future, that expresses the temporal relations between what is reported in a sentence and the time of its utterance
tense
- An inflectional ( see inflection ) form of verbs ; it expresses the time at which the action described by the verb takes place. The major tenses are past, present, and future. The verb in “I sing” is in the present tense; in “I sang,” past tense; in “I will sing,” future tense. Other tenses are the present perfect (“I have sung”), the past perfect (“I had sung”), and the future perfect (“I will have sung”).
Derived Forms
- ˈtenseness, noun
- ˈtensely, adverb
- ˈtenseless, adjective
Other Words From
- tensely adverb
- tenseness noun
- un·tensing adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of tense1
Origin of tense2
Word History and Origins
Origin of tense1
Origin of tense2
Example Sentences
Though my back initially kept tensing at the sharper touch, it soon relaxed into the sensation, as if my body were recalling those childhood back scratches.
A year ago his tense exchange with a reporter who questioned why he allowed fighters to make anti-LGBT remarks went viral.
With the situation still unresolved, the relationship between fans and player has become more tense, strained and angry.
The tense standoff has also raised urgent questions about the robustness and effectiveness of South Korea's political and legal institutions.
The Senate must sign off on some 1,200 appointments for the new president's administration, but some will come with the tense hearings that attract public attention.
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