strain

¹ American  

[strayn] / streɪn /

verb (used with object)

• strains,
  present (3rd person singular)
• strained,
  past participle,  past
• straining
  present participle

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)

• strains,
  present (3rd person singular)
• strained,
  past participle,  past
• straining
  present participle

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  

[strayn] / 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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Synonym Usage

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

Derived Forms

• strainless
  adjective
• strainingly
  adverb
• strainlessly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• straining
  present
• strained
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• strain
  simple
• strains
  simple
• have strained
  perfect
• has strained
  perfect
• am straining
  progressive
• are straining
  progressive
• is straining
  progressive
• have been straining
  perfect progressive
• has been straining
  perfect progressive

Past

• strained
  simple
• had strained
  perfect
• was straining
  progressive
• were straining
  progressive
• had been straining
  perfect progressive

Future

• will strain
  simple
• will have strained
  perfect
• will be straining
  progressive
• will have been straining
  perfect progressive

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

Explanation

The noun strain is a stretch, effort, or exertion. You can strain your ankle, or your little brother can strain your patience. This word has many, many meanings. Athletes strain their knees, which strains the emotions of their fans. Usually, you have to strain a little to accomplish anything, like getting an A in math. A strain may also be a line, like a line of ancestry, of thought, or a melodic line in music. Maybe you have to strain to hear the quiet flute in an orchestra. Another meaning is to pass something through a filter, like tea leaves.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

strain strains strained straining

Catastrophes strain public finances beyond reconstruction costs, often raising insurance premiums and limiting population growth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

"The global economy has been resilient, but that resilience is under strain, with risks tilted to the downside," Silvana Tenreyro, the IMF's chief economist, told journalists in Bangkok.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

A trio of storms since early September has put considerable strain on the historic Long Beach boardwalk, which collapsed further between 64th and 65th Place on Seaside Walk during a weekend of heavy surf.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

This puts extra strain on the neck and can cause pain or early wear and tear of the neck joints.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

Sergei Korolev tried, without success, to hide the strain in his voice.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Rising living costs, low wages, strains on the healthcare system and long-term population decline all feature prominently in campaign debates.

From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026

Consumer spending snapped back in August after a brief lull, adding to mounting evidence of an acceleration in the U.S. economy despite a series of strains.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

But at the same time, listeners will hear what sounds like the early strains of “I’m Only Sleeping,” a standout track from “Revolver.”

From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026

Both have done so willingly, but not obliviously to the financial and other strains that couples have put on them and other guests.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Now, as I drew closer, the faint strains of organ music caught my ears.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

He said the announcement should mark a "starting point" to rebuilding strained community relations in Portadown.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Dismissing this argument as "absurd," Gregoire said that he "fully stood by" his approach at a time of strained public finances.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

"Nepal's electricity system, currently strained and heavily dependent on hydropower, could be made more robust through well-planned additions of solar electricity," Germany's development agency GIZ said in a 2024 report.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

Even the film’s potentially provocative examination of open marriages falls by the wayside, replaced by an increasingly strained subplot involving Haru contending with Mila’s unexpected arrival.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

The two boys strained and grunted, and at last they were able to raise Nanuq’s snout above the surface.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

"We're selling into Canada and it is particularly straining on both us and our customers," Miller said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026

Beyond causing bloating, straining, and infrequent bowel movements, it can also interfere with daily life by increasing stress, reducing productivity, and lowering overall quality of life.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2026

France is also straining to adapt generous health and pension systems as its population ages, driving up costs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Last week, he posted a picture of Harp straining under an oversized pack, while observing that its size did nothing to quell “diaper bag allegations.”

From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026

One by one the men emerged from the shelter, straining to see.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Related Words

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