tension

American  

[ten-shuhn] / ˈtɛn ʃən /

noun

1. the act of stretching or straining.

2. the state of being stretched or strained.

3. mental or emotional strain; intense, suppressed suspense, anxiety, or excitement.

4. a strained relationship between individuals, groups, nations, etc.

5. (not in current use) pressure, especially of a vapor.

6. Mechanics.

   1. the longitudinal deformation of an elastic body that results in its elongation.

   2. the force producing such deformation.

7. Electricity. electromotive force; potential.

8. Machinery. a device for stretching or pulling something.

9. a device to hold the proper tension on the material being woven in a loom.

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verb (used with object)

1. to subject (a cable, belt, tendon, or the like) to tension, especially for a specific purpose.

tension British  

/ ˈtɛnʃən /

noun

1. the act of stretching or the state or degree of being stretched

2. mental or emotional strain; stress

3. a situation or condition of hostility, suspense, or uneasiness

4. physics a force that tends to produce an elongation of a body or structure

5. physics

   1. voltage, electromotive force, or potential difference

   2. ( in combination )

      high-tension

      low-tension

6. a device for regulating the tension in a part, string, thread, etc, as in a sewing machine

7. knitting the degree of tightness or looseness with which a person knits

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tension Scientific  

/ tĕn′shən /

1. A force that tends to stretch or elongate something.

2. An electrical potential (voltage), especially as measured in electrical components such as transformers or power lines involved in the transmission of electrical power.

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Other Word Forms

• overtension noun
• supertension noun
• tensional adjective
• tensionless adjective

Etymology

Origin of tension

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin tēnsiōn-, stem of tēnsiō, “a stretching,” equivalent to tēns(us) “stretched” (past participle of tendere “to stretch, extend, proceed”; tend ¹ ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

The French historian Ernest Renan identified the tension between a nation-state’s need for a legitimizing narrative and the often ugly truths of its actual past.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

That tension between vulnerability and self-protection extends beyond the themes of the show.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Holy Week, one of the most sacred periods in the Christian calendar, centers on themes of sacrifice, suffering and redemption — making the address a direct moral intervention at a moment of global tension.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

The tension between the anti-nuclear artwork and its artists’ familial ties to the production of the very technology they reject is an enticing dance of its own.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

At his laugh, the tension in Anya’s body began to relax away.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

Related Words

• anxiety
• apprehension
• concern
• discomfort
• hostility
• jitters
• nervousness
• pressure
• strain
• suspense
• unease
• worry