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”; see 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

Tense trade relations between the U.S. and Europe settled down last summer after the two sides struck a compromise in Scotland, but it still hasn’t been approved by the European Parliament.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 20, 2026

Tense and order are features of how happenings relate within an existing world, not properties of existent objects.

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2025

Appeared in the October 9, 2025, print edition as 'Families Face Tense Wait For Hostages'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025

Tense discussions of life-altering events are matched by the diegetic decibels of smooth jazz or string symphonies.

From Salon • Sep. 25, 2025

Tense when Dad drives up in his Jeep, afraid the dog will bark.

From "Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Related Words

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