strain

¹ American  

[streyn] / streɪn /

verb (used with object)

1. to draw tight or taut, especially to the utmost tension; stretch to the full.

   to strain a rope.

   Synonyms:

   extend

2. to exert to the utmost.

   to strain one's ears to catch a sound.

3. to impair, injure, or weaken (a muscle, tendon, etc.) by stretching or overexertion.

4. to cause mechanical deformation in (a body or structure) as the result of stress.

5. to stretch beyond the proper point or limit.

   to strain the meaning of a word.

6. to make excessive demands upon.

   to strain one's luck; to strain one's resources.

7. to pour (liquid containing solid matter) through a filter, sieve, or the like in order to hold back the denser solid constituents.

   to strain gravy.

   Synonyms:

   sieve, filter

8. to draw off (clear or pure liquid) by means of a filter or sieve.

   to strain the water from spinach; to strain broth.

9. to hold back (solid particles) from liquid matter by means of a filter or sieve.

   to strain seeds from orange juice; to strain rice.

10. to clasp tightly in the arms, the hand, etc..

    The mother strained her child close to her breast.

    Synonyms:

    press, embrace, hug

11. Obsolete. to constrain, as to a course of action.

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verb (used without object)

1. to pull forcibly.

   a dog straining at a leash.

2. to stretch one's muscles, nerves, etc., to the utmost.

3. to make violent physical efforts; strive hard.

4. to resist forcefully; balk.

   to strain at accepting an unpleasant fact.

5. to be subjected to tension or stress; suffer strain.

6. to filter, percolate, or ooze.

   Synonyms:

   seep

7. to trickle or flow.

   Sap strained from the bark.

noun

1. any force or pressure tending to alter shape, cause a fracture, etc.

2. strong muscular or physical effort.

   Synonyms:

   exertion

3. great or excessive effort or striving after some goal, object, or effect.

4. an injury to a muscle, tendon, etc., due to excessive tension or use; sprain.

   Synonyms:

   wrench

5. Mechanics, Physics. deformation of a body or structure as a result of an applied force.

6. condition of being strained or stretched.

7. a task, goal, or effect accomplished only with great effort.

   Housecleaning is a real strain.

8. severe, trying, or fatiguing pressure or exertion; taxing onus.

   the strain of hard work.

9. a severe demand on or test of resources, feelings, a person, etc..

   a strain on one's hospitality.

10. a flow or burst of language, eloquence, etc..

    the lofty strain of Cicero.

11. Often strains. a passage of melody, music, or songs as rendered or heard.

    the strains of the nightingale.

12. Music. a section of a piece of music, more or less complete in itself.

13. a passage or piece of poetry.

14. the tone, style, or spirit of an utterance, writing, etc..

    a humorous strain.

15. a particular degree, height, or pitch attained.

    a strain of courageous enthusiasm.

strain ² American  

[streyn] / streɪn /

noun

1. the body of descendants of a common ancestor, as a family or stock.

2. any of the different lines of ancestry united in a family or an individual.

3. a group of plants distinguished from other plants of the variety to which it belongs by some intrinsic quality, such as a tendency to yield heavily; breed.

4. an artificial variety of a species of domestic animal or cultivated plant.

5. Microbiology, Pathology. a specific variety of a virus, bacterium, or other microorganism.

   A strain of the virus will have distinct virulent properties as well as a particular immune response.

6. ancestry or descent.

7. hereditary or natural character, tendency, or trait.

   a strain of insanity in a family.

   Synonyms:

   predisposition, vein, streak

8. a streak or trace.

9. a kind or sort.

10. Obsolete. procreation.

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strain ¹ British  

/ streɪn /

verb

1. to draw or be drawn taut; stretch tight

2. to exert, tax, or use (resources) to the utmost extent

3. to injure or damage or be injured or damaged by overexertion

   he strained himself

4. to deform or be deformed as a result of a stress

5. (intr) to make intense or violent efforts; strive

6. to subject or be subjected to mental tension or stress

7. to pour or pass (a substance) or (of a substance) to be poured or passed through a sieve, filter, or strainer

8. (tr) to draw off or remove (one part of a substance or mixture from another) by or as if by filtering

9. (tr) to clasp tightly; hug

10. obsolete (tr) to force or constrain

11. 1. to push, pull, or work with violent exertion (upon)

    2. to strive (for)

    3. to balk or scruple (from)

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noun

1. the act or an instance of straining

2. the damage resulting from excessive exertion

3. an intense physical or mental effort

4. music (often plural) a theme, melody, or tune

5. a great demand on the emotions, resources, etc

6. a feeling of tension and tiredness resulting from overwork, worry, etc; stress

7. a particular style or recurring theme in speech or writing

8. physics the change in dimension of a body under load expressed as the ratio of the total deflection or change in dimension to the original unloaded dimension. It may be a ratio of lengths, areas, or volumes

strain ² British  

/ streɪn /

noun

1. the main body of descendants from one ancestor

2. a group of organisms within a species or variety, distinguished by one or more minor characteristics

3. a variety of bacterium or fungus, esp one used for a culture

4. a streak; trace

5. archaic a kind, type, or sort

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strain Scientific  

/ strān /

1. A group of organisms of the same species, sharing certain hereditary characteristics not typical of the entire species but minor enough not to warrant classification as a separate breed or variety. Resistance to specific antibiotics is a feature of certain strains of bacteria.

2. The extent to which a body is distorted when it is subjected to a deforming force, as when under stress. The distortion can involve a change both in shape and in size. All measures of strain are dimensionless (they have no unit of measure).

3. ◆ Axial strain is equal to the ratio between the change in length of an object and its original length.

4. ◆ Volume strain is equal to the ratio between the change in volume of an object and its original volume. It is also called bulk strain.

5. ◆ Shear strain is equal to the ratio between the amount by which an object is skewed and its length.

6. Compare stress See more at Hooke's law

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Related Words

Strain, sprain imply a wrenching, twisting, and stretching of muscles and tendons. To strain is to stretch tightly, make taut, wrench, tear, cause injury to, by long-continued or sudden and too violent effort or movement: to strain one's heart by overexertion, one's eyes by reading small print. To sprain is to strain excessively (but without dislocation) by a sudden twist or wrench, the tendons and muscles connected with a joint, especially those of the ankle or wrist: to sprain an ankle.

Other Word Forms

• strainingly adverb
• strainless adjective
• strainlessly adverb

Etymology

Origin of strain¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English streinen (verb), from Old French estrein-, stem of estreindre “to press tightly, grip,” from Latin stringere “to bind, tie, draw tight.” See stringent

Origin of strain²

First recorded before 950; Middle English stren(e), streine “gain, acquisition; sexual intercourse, procreation,” Old English strēon, strīon

Example Sentences

The team learned earlier this week that Luka Doncic has a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and will be out for the remainder of the regular season — and perhaps beyond.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Video calls, streaming, virtual reality, and connected devices all rely on networks that are already under heavy strain.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026

But the war with Iran is already putting India's $6bn bottled water industry under strain as manufacturers struggle to access crucial raw materials.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

"Parts of the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America face the added strain of higher food and fertilizer prices and tighter financial conditions," the IMF said in a post on its website.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

I can almost hear my heart beating as I strain to detect the source of the noise.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• ache
• anxiety
• bruise
• burden
• injury
• pressure
• sprain
• stress
• tension