tension

[ten-shuh n]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tension ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of stretching or straining.

the state of being stretched or strained.

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

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

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

Mechanics.

the longitudinal deformation of an elastic body that results in its elongation.
the force producing such deformation.

Electricity. electromotive force; potential.

Machinery. a device for stretching or pulling something.

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

verb (used with object)

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

Origin of tension

1525–35; < Latin tēnsiōn- (stem of tēnsiō) a stretching. See tense¹, -ion

Related formsten·sion·al, adjectiveten·sion·less, adjectiveo·ver·ten·sion, nounsu·per·ten·sion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for tension

pressure, stress, strain, nervousness, anxiety, apprehension, hostility, unease, discomfort, jitters, suspense, worry, concern, force, rigidity, stiffness, balance, constriction, tautness, straining

Examples from the Web for tension

Contemporary Examples of tension

Yes, cops are under stress and tension (though their jobs are far less dangerous than normally supposed).
We Need Our Police to Be Better Than This
Nick Gillespie
December 31, 2014
“This tension was not well received at the Vatican,” according to Tosatti.
Is The Pope Unprotected Now That He’s Fired the Head of the Swiss Guards?
Barbie Latza Nadeau
December 5, 2014
That's a step forward from the tension of the past two years.
Beijing’s ‘Star Trek’ APEC Summit
Jake Adelstein
November 11, 2014
Really, sortition strikes at the tension at the heart of elective representative democracy.
Is It Time to Take a Chance on Random Representatives?
Michael Schulson
November 8, 2014
For instance, when a couple is having trouble, the tension and hostility can bleed into BDSM scenes.
Coming Out Kinky to Your Doctor, in Black and Blue
Heather Boerner
October 25, 2014

Historical Examples of tension

The great bow creaked and groaned and the cord vibrated with the tension.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
Dick, too, had felt the tension of an emotion far beyond that of the usual things.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
It seemed to relieve the tension drawn by the other woman's torment.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
There was some tension of mind or muscle that kept sleep far from him.
The Rock of Chickamauga
Joseph A. Altsheler
Whether this tension was felt by the Honourable George, I had no means of knowing.
Ruggles of Red Gap
Harry Leon Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for tension

tension

noun

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

mental or emotional strain; stress

a situation or condition of hostility, suspense, or uneasiness

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

physics

voltage, electromotive force, or potential difference
(in combination)high-tension; low-tension

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

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

Derived Formstensional, adjectivetensionless, adjective

Word Origin for tension

C16: from Latin tensiō, from tendere to strain

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for tension

1530s, "a stretched condition," from Middle French tension, from Latin tensionem (nominative tensio) "a stretching" (in Medieval Latin "a struggle, contest"), noun of state from tensus, past participle of tendere "to stretch," from PIE root *ten- "stretch" (see tenet). The sense of "nervous strain" is first recorded 1763. The meaning "electromotive force" (in high-tension wires) is recorded from 1802.

tension in Medicine

tension

[tĕn′shən]

n.

The act or process of stretching something tight.

The condition of so being stretched.

A force tending to stretch or elongate something.

The partial pressure of a gas, especially dissolved in a liquid such as blood.

Mental, emotional, or nervous strain.

Barely controlled hostility or a strained relationship between people or groups.

tension in Science

tension

[tĕn′shən]

A force that tends to stretch or elongate something.

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