[
UK
/tˈɛns/
]
[ US /ˈtɛns/ ]
[ US /ˈtɛns/ ]
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
VERB
-
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 -
become stretched or tense or taut
the rope strained when the weight was attached
the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed -
cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious
he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up
NOUN
- a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
How To Use tense In A Sentence
- The stable oily liquid, which absorbs intense heat, was used as a coolant for electrical transformers and capacitors.
- The trouble is getting tense often just makes matters worse. The Sun
- enemy fire was intense
- Typical mesocyclonic tornadoes are caused by intense thunderstorms with appropriate vertical and directional wind shear. The Volokh Conspiracy » Pathogens in Harm’s Way:
- He may be intense and sometimes untactful on an issue you are debating, but that will only be on that ANC Daily News Briefing
- Apart from intense competition in the retail savings market, banks and building societies also compete strongly in the market for house finance.
- Intense sunlight may be a trigger to skin cancer.
- Listening to this intense young man, there is little doubt he has done things the hard way; no favours doled out and none asked for.
- The stakeholders are frighteningly numerous, diverse, intensely self-interested, and powerful.
- Identification includes much less intense and less exclusive attitudes.