tension

American  

[ten-shuhn] / ˈtɛn ʃən /

noun

• tensions
  plural

1. 

   the act of stretching or straining.

2. the state of being stretched or strained.

3. mental or emotional strain; intense, suppressed suspense, anxiety, or excitement.

4. a strained relationship between individuals, groups, nations, etc.

5. (not in current use) pressure, especially of a vapor.

6. Mechanics.

   1. the longitudinal deformation of an elastic body that results in its elongation.

   2. the force producing such deformation.

7. Electricity. electromotive force; potential.

8. Machinery. a device for stretching or pulling something.

9. a device to hold the proper tension on the material being woven in a loom.

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verb (used with object)

1. to subject (a cable, belt, tendon, or the like) to tension, especially for a specific purpose.

tension British  

/ ˈtɛnʃən /

noun

1. the act of stretching or the state or degree of being stretched

2. mental or emotional strain; stress

3. a situation or condition of hostility, suspense, or uneasiness

4. physics a force that tends to produce an elongation of a body or structure

5. physics

   1. voltage, electromotive force, or potential difference

   2. ( in combination )

      high-tension

      low-tension

6. a device for regulating the tension in a part, string, thread, etc, as in a sewing machine

7. knitting the degree of tightness or looseness with which a person knits

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tension Scientific  

/ tĕn′shən /

1. A force that tends to stretch or elongate something.

2. An electrical potential (voltage), especially as measured in electrical components such as transformers or power lines involved in the transmission of electrical power.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overtension
  noun
• supertension
  noun
• tensional
  adjective
• tensionless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tensions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tension

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin tēnsiōn-, stem of tēnsiō, “a stretching,” equivalent to tēns(us) “stretched” (past participle of tendere “to stretch, extend, proceed”; see tend ¹) + -iō -ion

Explanation

When things feel so tight they might snap, that's tension. If you buy your girlfriend a vacuum cleaner when she wanted diamonds, you will experience tension. Just before she storms out of the room. The noun tension has its Latin roots in tendere, which means to stretch, and tension occurs when something is stretched either physically or emotionally. Strained relations between countries can cause political tensions to rise. You can add tension to a rubber band by stretching it tight. You can release nervous tension by releasing that tension in the rubber band, when you shoot it at your brother.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tension tensions

In the model, increasing membrane tension also reduced their size.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

Chelsea have ongoing plans either to redevelop Stamford Bridge or move to a new stadium, which sources say had created tension at times between Boehly's camp and Clearlake.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

The big organizations, though, do not seem to feel that tension.

From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2026

That our faces can, with new medical and cosmetic technology, be altered only further intensifies this tension.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Danny and Joe chattered, quibbled, and stuffed their mouths, oblivious to the tension in the air.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

It comes after Nato forces shot down a drone over Lithuania in the latest security scare on the alliance's eastern flank, where tensions remain high amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

There are others who say a world of rolling supply shocks amid geopolitical tensions is creating inflation persistence that won’t go away without higher policy rates.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

While both consumer and factory-gate prices ticked up for August, those price gains were mainly driven by supply shocks, including rising energy prices amid renewed Middle East tensions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Harry, who quit Britain for California six years ago with his wife Meghan amid tensions with his family, attended a fundraising evening for his Invictus Games for wounded veterans in London.

From Barron's

He was afraid of escalating tensions with the Soviet and Chinese Communists by increased bombing.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Related Words

• anxiety
• apprehension
• concern
• discomfort
• hostility
• jitters
• nervousness
• pressure
• strain
• suspense
• unease
• worry