tense
1[ tens ]
/ tɛns /
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adjective, tens·er, tens·est.
stretched tight, as a cord, fiber, etc.; drawn taut; rigid.
in a state of mental or nervous strain; high-strung; taut: a tense person.
characterized by a strain upon the nerves or feelings: a tense moment.
verb (used with or without object), tensed, tens·ing.
to make or become tense.
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Origin of tense
1OTHER WORDS FROM tense
tensely, adverbtenseness, nounun·tens·ing, adjectiveOther definitions for tense (2 of 2)
tense2
[ tens ]
/ tɛns /
noun
a category of verbal inflection that serves chiefly to specify the time of the action or state expressed by the verb.
a set of such categories or constructions in a particular language.
the time, as past, present, or future, expressed by such a category.
such categories or constructions, or their meanings collectively.
Origin of tense
2First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tens, from Middle French, from Latin tempus “time”
OTHER WORDS FROM tense
tenseless, adjectivetense·less·ly, adverbtense·less·ness, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use tense in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for tense (1 of 2)
tense1
/ (tɛns) /
adjective
stretched or stressed tightly; taut or rigid
under mental or emotional strain
producing mental or emotional straina tense day
(of a speech sound) pronounced with considerable muscular effort and having relatively precise accuracy of articulation and considerable durationin English the vowel ( iː ) in ``beam'' is tense Compare lax (def. 4)
verb
(often foll by up) to make or become tense
Derived forms of tense
tensely, adverbtenseness, nounWord Origin for tense
C17: from Latin tensus taut, from tendere to stretch
British Dictionary definitions for tense (2 of 2)
tense2
/ (tɛns) /
noun
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
Derived forms of tense
tenseless, adjectiveWord Origin for tense
C14: from Old French tens time, from Latin tempus
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Cultural definitions for tense
tense
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”).
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
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