tense
adjective
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Definition of tense
(Entry 1 of 3)
tense
verbDefinition of tense (Entry 2 of 3)
tense
nounDefinition of tense (Entry 3 of 3)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for tense
Synonyms: Adjective
aflutter, antsy, anxious, atwitter, dithery, edgy, goosey, het up, hinky [slang], hung up, ill at ease, insecure, jittery, jumpy, nervous, nervy, perturbed, queasy (also queazy), troubled, uneasy, unquiet, upset, uptight, worried
Synonyms: Verb
strain, stretch, tauten, tighten
Antonyms: Adjective
calm, collected, cool, easy, happy-go-lucky, nerveless, relaxed
Antonyms: Verb
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Examples of tense in a Sentence
Adjective
She was feeling pretty tense. Why are you so tense? We sat quietly for a few tense moments. It was a tense meeting. My calf muscles are really tense.Verb
She tensed as he walked toward her. He tensed up and missed the putt.Noun
The sentence will read better if you change the tense of the verb. You should avoid changing tense in the middle of a paragraph.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
The detentions come amid an increasingly tense relationship between the U.S. and China. — Rachel Leingang, USA TODAY, "9 Arizona State students from China detained at LA airport, denied admission to U.S.," 30 Aug. 2019 Yet taking a strong stance against working with the Trump administration's immigration agencies could strain an already tense relationship between Google and the Trump administration. — Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, "The Technology 202: Googlers demand company renounce working with Trump immigration agencies," 15 Aug. 2019 But the pointed criticism is perhaps unsurprising, given the tense relationship May has had with opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn. — Adam Rasmi, Quartz, "Theresa May has advice for women working with unqualified men," 24 July 2019 Previously unreleased Secret Service letters show Jackie Kennedy's tense relationship with the Secret Service after JFK died. — Liz Cantrell, Town & Country, "John F. Kennedy Jr.'s Close Friend Sheds Light on the Former First Son's Final Days in New Biography," 14 July 2019 In typical whodunit fashion, the family is full of strange characters, big secrets, and tense relationships that make for a zany tableau. — Julia Alexander, The Verge, "The first trailer for Rian Johnson’s Knives Out is a wild take on whodunits," 2 July 2019 Iacocca’s eight years as president were made difficult by his tense relationship with Henry Ford II. — Bart Barnes, The Denver Post, "Lee Iacocca, who rescued Chrysler from bankruptcy in the 1980s, dies at 94," 2 July 2019 That move worsened an already tense relationship between the two, and DeSantis rescinded 46 of them later that month. — Gray Rohrer, orlandosentinel.com, "Gov. Ron DeSantis kicked out 215 of Rick Scott’s appointments, but 157 didn’t go anywhere," 1 July 2019 The protesters and counter-protesters faced off at a tense but peaceful rally. — Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, "Newsletter: Film festivals, the L.A. County Fair and more in the week ahead," 26 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
With one less rose available, all of the men immediately tensed up, especially Cam Ayala, who thought Onyeka would give him a friend rose. — Dana Rose Falcone, PEOPLE.com, "Bachelor in Paradise: Hannah G. Finally Decides Between Blake and Dylan," 19 Aug. 2019 After knocking on an apartment door, Relyea found Arbitelle standing behind it, tensing his arms and standing in what the officer described as an aggressive posture. — Nicholas Rondinone, courant.com, "Danbury officer, under investigation for police shooting this month, cleared in deadly 2018 shooting," 12 July 2019 The negotiation On Day 3 , a dozen picks into the 11th round, things at the Czajkowski house started to tense up. — Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Why the top high school player in Michigan went undrafted," 9 June 2019 Experiment with keeping your muscles in your body tensed, and also with relaxing them. — Vanessa Marin, Allure, "Ask a Sex Therapist: Help, I Can't Tell If I Just Had My First Orgasm or Not," 16 July 2018 Progressive muscle relaxation is simply tensing and relaxing various muscle groups in the body, explains Bonior. — Casey Gueren, SELF, "We Asked Therapists How to Feel a Little Bit Better This Week. Here are Their Self-Care Tips," 3 Oct. 2018 Willa relented, though her shoulders hunched, her face tensing through the initial strokes. — David Gilbert, The New Yorker, "Fungus," 4 June 2017 When Harris felt something inConde's sock, Conde tensed up and turned on the officer, according to the report. — Uriel J. Garcia, azcentral, "Mesa police video shows officers punching, mocking man in drug arrest," 13 June 2018 Imagine the scene: Arms tensed, bow flexed, a hunter on the African savanna draws in a slow breath as his prey moves into view. — Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, "Beyond the Condom," 11 May 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The revenue generated by speed and red-light cameras — tense of millions of dollars, shows the extent of the problem. — Emily Guskin, Washington Post, "More Washingtonians say drivers are bad than say the same of cyclists, walkers, scooter riders, poll finds," 10 June 2019