tense

¹ American  

[tens] / tɛns /

adjective

tenser, tensest

1. stretched tight, as a cord, fiber, etc.; drawn taut; rigid.

2. in a state of mental or nervous strain; high-strung; taut.

   a tense person.

3. characterized by a strain upon the nerves or feelings.

   a tense moment.

4. Phonetics. pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles; narrow.

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verb (used with or without object)

tenses, present (3rd person singular) tensed, past participle, past tensing present participle

1. to make or become tense.

tense ² American  

[tens] / tɛns /

noun

1. a category of verbal inflection that serves chiefly to specify the time of the action or state expressed by the verb.

2. a set of such categories or constructions in a particular language.

3. the time, as past, present, or future, expressed by such a category.

4. such categories or constructions, or their meanings collectively.

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tense ¹ British  

/ tɛns /

adjective

1. stretched or stressed tightly; taut or rigid

2. under mental or emotional strain

3. producing mental or emotional strain

   a tense day

4. (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

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verb

1. (often foll by up) to make or become tense

tense ² British  

/ tɛns /

noun

1. 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

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tense Cultural  

1. 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”).

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• untensing
  adjective
• tenseness
  noun
• tenselessness
  noun
• tensely
  adverb
• tenselessly
  adverb
• tenseless
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have tensed
  perfect
• has tensed
  perfect 3rd person singular
• is tensing
  progressive 3rd person singular
• has been tensing
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• am tensing
  progressive 1st person singular
• tensing
  participle
• are tensing
  progressive
• tenses
  singular 3rd person
• have been tensing
  perfect progressive

Past

• had tensed
  perfect
• was tensing
  progressive singular
• tensed
  simple
• had been tensing
  perfect progressive
• tensed
  participle
• were tensing
  progressive plural

Future

• will tense
  simple
• will have tensed
  perfect
• will be tensing
  progressive
• will have been tensing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of tense¹

First recorded in 1660–70; from Latin tēnsus, past participle of tendere “to stretch”; see tend ¹

Origin of tense²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tens, from Middle French, from Latin tempus “time”

Explanation

When something's stretched tight, it's tense. A rope can be tense. So can a muscle. When a person's tense, they're anxious. When a situation is tense, you might say you could "cut the tension with a knife." When a muscle tenses up, it contracts suddenly–-a person can be said to tense up also. The opposite of tense is "relaxed." If you tense up during exams, it's probably best to learn some relaxation techniques. The brain works best when it's relaxed.

Example Sentences

There was a tense pause until one of the primates suddenly went for Uruguay's shirt, suggesting the South American nation will win the June 26 match.

From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026

This week, host Scott Pelley was also fired after he confronted newsroom leadership about the culling in a tense staff meeting.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026

Think of it as being like a dinner party where the hosts are in the midst of a tense argument when you arrive.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

Pelley spoke with Weiss, CBS News President Tom Cibrowski, Bilton and a human resources representative Tuesday evening to discuss a path forward after his remarks, a meeting that turned tense.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

Her body is tense, and her hand is creeping to her sword.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• agitated
• anxious
• apprehensive
• edgy
• excited
• jittery
• nervous
• restive
• shaky
• strained
• stressful
• uneasy