tense

¹ American  

[tens] / tɛns /

adjective

tenser, tensest

1. stretched tight, as a cord, fiber, etc.; drawn taut; rigid.

2. in a state of mental or nervous strain; high-strung; taut.

   a tense person.

3. characterized by a strain upon the nerves or feelings.

   a tense moment.

4. Phonetics. pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles; narrow.

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verb (used with or without object)

tensed, tensing

1. to make or become tense.

tense ² American  

[tens] / tɛns /

noun

1. a category of verbal inflection that serves chiefly to specify the time of the action or state expressed by the verb.

2. a set of such categories or constructions in a particular language.

3. the time, as past, present, or future, expressed by such a category.

4. such categories or constructions, or their meanings collectively.

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tense ¹ British  

/ tɛns /

adjective

1. stretched or stressed tightly; taut or rigid

2. under mental or emotional strain

3. producing mental or emotional strain

   a tense day

4. (of a speech sound) pronounced with considerable muscular effort and having relatively precise accuracy of articulation and considerable duration Compare lax

   in English the vowel (iː) in ``beam'' is tense

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verb

1. (often foll by up) to make or become tense

tense ² British  

/ tɛns /

noun

1. grammar a category of the verb or verbal inflections, such as present, past, and future, that expresses the temporal relations between what is reported in a sentence and the time of its utterance

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tense Cultural  

1. An inflectional (see inflection) form of verbs; it expresses the time at which the action described by the verb takes place. The major tenses are past, present, and future. The verb in “I sing” is in the present tense; in “I sang,” past tense; in “I will sing,” future tense. Other tenses are the present perfect (“I have sung”), the past perfect (“I had sung”), and the future perfect (“I will have sung”).

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Other Word Forms

• tenseless adjective
• tenselessly adverb
• tenselessness noun
• tensely adverb
• tenseness noun
• untensing adjective

Etymology

Origin of tense¹

First recorded in 1660–70; from Latin tēnsus, past participle of tendere “to stretch”; tend ¹

Origin of tense²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tens, from Middle French, from Latin tempus “time”

Explanation

When something's stretched tight, it's tense. A rope can be tense. So can a muscle. When a person's tense, they're anxious. When a situation is tense, you might say you could "cut the tension with a knife." When a muscle tenses up, it contracts suddenly–-a person can be said to tense up also. The opposite of tense is "relaxed." If you tense up during exams, it's probably best to learn some relaxation techniques. The brain works best when it's relaxed.

Example Sentences

Her husband Yitzhak, tense throughout, finally exhales, then explains that the couple will wait a week before choosing a name.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

The fight had been a long time coming, and the rivalry had grown increasingly tense in the build-up.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

“We all need to be loose tonight and not be as tense and uptight.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Back on Earth, the blackout will be a tense time for those with the job of maintaining contact with the spacecraft,

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

And in Spanish we were supposed to have conversations about the airport, using the future tense.

From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee

Related Words

• agitated
• anxious
• apprehensive
• edgy
• excited
• jittery
• nervous
• restive
• shaky
• strained
• stressful
• uneasy