strained

American  

[streynd] / streɪnd /

adjective

1. affected or produced by effort; not natural or spontaneous; forced.

   strained hospitality.

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strained British  

/ streɪnd /

adjective

1. (of an action, performance, etc) not natural or spontaneous

2. (of an atmosphere, relationship, etc) not relaxed; tense

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Other Word Forms

• strainedly adverb
• strainedness noun
• well-strained adjective

Etymology

Origin of strained

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; strain ¹, -ed ²

Example Sentences

East of Columbus, Ohio, where New Albany has become another data-center hot spot, community development director Jennifer Chrysler last year gave so many presentations to out-of-town peers that it strained her small staff.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Fair Plan, which offers basic fire insurance for homeowners who can’t get coverage elsewhere, is seeking a 35.8% rate increase to buoy its strained finances.

From The Wall Street Journal

Iran's economy, already strained by sanctions, inflation and declining purchasing power, would struggle to absorb further shocks.

From BBC

“It’s critical that policymakers proceed with caution before layering new mandates onto an already strained system, which would only deepen market challenges facing consumers,” said Mark Sektnan, vice president, state government relations.

From Los Angeles Times

But the costs could put the French government's already strained budget under further pressure.

From Barron's

Related Words

• constrained
• labored
• stiff
• tense
• tight
• uneasy