Definitions for tensetɛns
Random House Webster's College Dictionary
tensetɛns(adj.)tens•er, tens•est
(adj.)stretched tight, as a cord, fiber, etc.; drawn taut; rigid.
in a state of mental or nervous strain; high-strung:
a tense person.
characterized by a strain upon the nerves or feelings:
a tense moment.
(of a speech sound) pronounced with the muscles of the speech organs relatively tense, as the vowel (ē) in seat.
Category: Phonetics
Ref: Compare lax (def. 7). 7
(v.i.)to make or become tense.
Origin of tense:
1660–70; < L tēnsus, ptp. of tendere to stretch; cf. tend1
tense′ness(n.)
tensetɛns(n.)
a category of verbs or verbal inflection serving chiefly to specify the time of the action or state expressed by the verb.
Category: Grammar
a set of such categories or constructions in a particular language.
Category: Grammar
the time, as past, present, or future, expressed by such a category.
Category: Grammar
Origin of tense:
1275–1325; ME tens < MF < L tempus time, tense
Princeton's WordNet
tense(adj)
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
tense(adj)
in or of a state of physical or nervous tension
tense(adj)
pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat')
tense(verb)
taut or rigid; stretched tight
"tense piano strings"
strain, tense(verb)
become stretched or tense or taut
"the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed;" "the rope strained when the weight was attached"
tense(verb)
increase the tension on
"alternately relax and tense your calf muscle"; "tense the rope manually before tensing the spring"
tense, tense up(verb)
become tense, nervous, or uneasy
"He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room"
tense, strain, tense up(verb)
cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious
"he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up"
Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary
tense(adjective)ɛns
worried or anxious
I'm feeling a little tense.
tenseɛns
causing sb to feel worried or anxious
a tense moment/situation/time
tenseɛns
(of muscles) tight and often sore
tense neck muscles
tense(noun)ɛns
a form of a verb that shows when sth takes place
the past/future/present tense
Webster Dictionary
Tense(noun)
one of the forms which a verb takes by inflection or by adding auxiliary words, so as to indicate the time of the action or event signified; the modification which verbs undergo for the indication of time
Tense(adj)
stretched tightly; strained to stiffness; rigid; not lax; as, a tense fiber
The New Hacker's Dictionary
tense
Of programs, very clever and efficient. A tense piece of code often got that way because it was highly tuned, but sometimes it was just based on a great idea. A comment in a clever routine by Mike Kazar, once a grad-student hacker at CMU: “This routine is so tense it will bring tears to your eyes.” A tense programmer is one who produces tense code.
Translations for tense
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary
- gespanneAfrikaans
- مُتَوَتِّر، عَصَبيArabic
- напрегнатBulgarian
- tensoPortuguese (BR)
- napjatýCzech
- gespanntGerman
- anspændt; spændt; nervøsDanish
- που βρίσκεται σε υπερένταση, τεταμένοςGreek
- tensoSpanish
- pinevEstonian
- نگران؛ عصبیFarsi
- jännittynytFinnish
- crispé, tenduFrench
- מָתוּחַHebrew
- घबराया हुआHindi
- napetCroatian
- feszültHungarian
- tegangIndonesian
- spennturIcelandic
- teso, ansiosoItalian
- 緊張したJapanese
- 긴장된Korean
- įtemptas, įsitempęsLithuanian
- saspīlēts; sasprindzināts; nervozsLatvian
- cemasMalay
- gespannenDutch
- (an)spent, nervøsNorwegian
- napiętyPolish
- tensoPortuguese
- tensionat,încordatRomanian
- напряжённыйRussian
- napätýSlovak
- napetSlovenian
- napetSerbian
- spändSwedish
- ตึงเครียดThai
- gergin, sinirliTurkish
- 緊張的Chinese (Trad.)
- напруженийUkrainian
- کشيدہUrdu
- căng thẳngVietnamese
- 紧张的Chinese (Simp.)
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