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

"You keep waiting, waiting, waiting, and then you start posting warnings because the tension is rising. And still, nothing happens. You post again, and nothing happens..."

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

Most of this low comedy is witless and irrelevant, dissipating the tension.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

And the rapid rise of online prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket are bringing that tension to the fore.

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026

But a celebrity must continue to sell, and that tension can breed incredibly adverse effects for everyone involved.

From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026

The air on the island was thick with talk and tension.

From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins

The crisis had calmed since breaking out in late July, but it has sparked tensions between EU nations who share open borders as well as criticism of the Spanish government.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Observer missions called for parties to tone down inflammatory statements as the votes cast on Thursday were tallied, and some teams extended their deployment because of the tensions.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

When tensions arose between Amodei and OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Brockman over who wielded power at the startup, Amodei, his sister and five other employees left to found Anthropic, in December 2020.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

This risks further deaths and inflamed diplomatic tensions between Morocco and Spain.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

As we drove, the tensions drained from me.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin

Related Words

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