Tense

Definition: Tense

Tense

Adjective

1. In or of a state of physical or nervous tension.

2. (phonetics) pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat').

3. Taut or rigid; stretched tight; "tense piano strings".

Noun

1. A grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time.

Verb

1. Stretch or force to the limit; "strain the rope".

2. Increase the tension on; "tense a rope".

3. Become tense or tenser; "He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room".

4. Make tense.

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "tense" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references)

Computing

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Tense

Excitation

Adjective: excited; Verb: wrought up, up the qui vive, astir, sparkling; in a quiver; in a fever, in a ferment, in a blaze, in a state of excitement; in hysterics; black in the face, overwrought, tense, taught, on a razor's edge; hot, red-hot, flushed, feverish; all of a twitter, in a pucker; with quivering lips, with tears in one's eyes.

Hardness

Adjective: hard, rigid, stubborn, stiff, firm; starch, starched; stark, unbending, unlimber, unyielding; inflexible, tense; indurate, indurated; gritty, proof.

Crosswords: Tense

You seem tense (Stuart Little; writing credit: M. Night Shyamalan)

A repo man spends his life getting into tense situations (Repo Man; writing credit: Alex Cox)

Past tense was unintentional (Barney Miller; writing credit: Danny Arnold)

I wish to be tense. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer; writing credit: Doreen Spicer)

No wait, he already did look like an idiot in front of the Poobah. The English language is sorely lacking a verb tense for this situation (Walkin' on Sunshine: The Movie; writing credit: Marcus Alexander Hart)

When your tense didn't give a massage (You Should've Told Me; performing artist: Kelly Price)

That my bod was tense (Daydreamin'; performing artist: Tatyana Ali)

So Israel's getting tense. (Who's Next?; performing artist: Tom Lehrer)

Life is like a grammar lesson: You find the past perfect and the present tense. (references; author: unknown)

Tense Moments with Great Authors (1922)

Past Tense (1994)

Future Tense (1983)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Jerusalem Diaries: In Tense Times (reference)

• Kiss This: Punk in the Present Tense (reference)

• Rosey in the Present Tense (reference)

  (more book examples)

Theater & Movies

• Love in the Present Tense *Final Sale (reference)

• Past Tense (reference)

• Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 57: Past Tense, Part 1 (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• A Future Lived in Past Tense (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

"On the Bottom -- A tense moment during salvage operations -- USS Squalus". Photographed on the after deck of USS Falcon (ASR-2), with men listening to communications from a diver working on the sunken submarine. Credit: NAVY.

Behind him, wide-eyed, silent, tense, a crowd of chocolate adventurers watched the play. The tropics had got him again. Credit: Library of Congress.

Spectators at a tense moment during the rodeo at the San Angelo Fat Stock Show, San Angelo, Texas. Credit: Library of Congress.

In "negative practice," an extremely tense woman driver is told to "freeze up" when there isn't the slightest danger. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Al grew tense over the wheel

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Everyone may be worried or tense. (references)

The cost of your child's treatment may cause additional pressure in an already tense situation. (references)

In progressive relaxation therapy, patients are taught to first tense and then relax individual muscle groups. (references)

Business

The town of Chenalho, Chiapas state, suffered an increasingly tense political situation during the year. (references)

Civil Liberties

Namibia

During the year, there continued to be problems at Osire, including poor water quality, a high malnutrition rate, inadequate shelter, and tense relations with local farmers. (references)

Niger

The Constitution provides for freedom of assembly; however, the Government retained the authority to prohibit gatherings either under tense social conditions or if advance notice (48 hours) is not provided. (references)

Economic History

Lesotho

Relations between the police and the army have been tense, and in 1997 the army was called upon to put down a serious police mutiny. (references)

Human Rights

South Africa

Mandeni, KwaZulu-Natal Province, was another area that remained tense during the year as a result of lingering ANC/IFP as well as intra-IFP political rivalry. (references)

South Africa

Isolated rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal that previously experienced violence remained tense at times; however, the overall level of violence continued to decrease. (references)

Russia

For example, NGO's monitoring prison conditions enjoy an excellent relationship with government authorities, while those monitoring Chechnya have a more tense relationship. (references)

Minorities

Guinea

The conflict eased after a visit by the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, but the region remained tense. (references)

Russia

While religious matters are not a source of societal hostility for most citizens, relations between different religious organizations frequently are tense, particularly at the leadership level, and there continued to be instances of religiously motivated violence. (references)

Political Economy

Georgia

The Russian-Georgian relationship is extremely tense and complex at this time. (references)

Worker Rights

China

The atmosphere at Tsurphu reportedly remains tense, with a permanent police presence and intensified restrictions on monks that appear to be aimed at discouraging them from following their spiritual teacher into exile. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "tense": concord of tense ♦ continuous tense ♦ future perfect tense ♦ future progressive tense ♦ future tense ♦ imperfect tense ♦ past perfect tense ♦ past progressive tense ♦ past tense ♦ perfect tense ♦ perfective tense ♦ pluferfect tense ♦ pluperfect tense ♦ present perfect tense ♦ present progressive tense ♦ present tense ♦ progressive tense ♦ tense anxiety ♦ tense system ♦ tense up ♦ the perfect tense. Additional references.

Beginning with "tense": tense-looking.

Ending with "tense": l-tense, m-tense, past-tense.

Albanian

tendos (draw, exert, strain, stretch, subtend, tauten, tighten, wrack), krijoj tension, i tensionuar (fraught, strained), i tendosur (ding-dong, drawn tightly, stiff, strained, stretched, taut, tight), i nderë (extended, taut), gjallëroj (animate, enliven, ensoul, exhilarate, illumine, inspirit, liven, liven up, move, pep, quicken, relieve, renew, revive, rouse, set about, smarten up, spirit, spiritualize, sting, stir, vitalize, vivify, warm up). (various references)

Arabic 

‏متوتر (edgy, high strung, in a state, nervous, on tenterhooks, strained, taut), ‏مشدود (taut, tight), ‏وتر (bow, catgut, chord, cord, gut, nerve, sinew, snare, strain, string, tauten, tendon, tension), ‏توتر (in a stew, strain, stress, tauten, tautness, tenseness, tension, tensity, tighten), ‏تشنج (convulse, convulsion, cramp, flutter, squirm), ‏صيغة الفعل (gerund, voice), ‏إنقبض (contract, shrink). (various references)

Bulgarian 

стягам (accouter, accoutre, bind, brace, compact, constrain, constrict, do up, gripe, hold in, hoop, impact, lace, lace up, lock, pack, pinch, preen, screw up, straiten, tighten, trim, truss), свит (contracted, pursy, self-effacing, shrank, shrunken), глаголно време, вдървен (stiff, wooden), обтегнат (strained, stretched, tight), напрягам (bend, call forth, exert, hump, intensify, overstrain, rack, strain, string up), напрегнат (breathless, exacting, excited, intense, intent, laborious, nervy, overstrung, overwrought, strenuous, taut, tight, uncool, uphill), изопвам (draw), изпъвам се (straighten, tauten), изпъвам (straighten, strain, tauten), изпънат (outstretched). (various references)

Chinese 

緊張 (critical, intense, nervous, strained, tension), 時態 , 时态, 拉緊 (strain, tighten). (various references)

Czech

nervózní (fussy, high strung, highly strung, ill tempered, jittery, jumpy, nervous, nervy, neurotic, on edge, overstrung, overwrought, unsettled, uptight), natažený (taut), napnout (flex, heave out, strain, stretch, tension, tighten), napjatý (explosive, inflammable, taut, tight, tonic, uptight), èas (term, tide, time, while). (various references)

Danish

tempus, grammatisk tid. (various references)

Dutch

tijd (time), týd (time, while). (various references)

Farsi 

ناراحت (Distraught, Fidgety, Uncomfortable, Uneasy, Unhandy, Upset), وخیم شدن (Worst), وخیم (Critical, Crucial, Dire, Fatal, Serious), تصریف زمان فعل , تشدیدیافتن , سفت (Astringent, Callous, Concrete, Fast, Hard, Inelastic, Ironclad, Stark, Stiff, Taut, Tenacious, Thick, Tight, Tough, Wiry), زمان فعل , عصبی وهیجان زده . (various references)

Finnish

pingottunut (strained), kireä (strict, taut, tight), jännittynyt (excited), aikamuoto, aikaluokka. (various references)

French

tendu. (various references)

German

spannen (be taut, be tight, catch on to, clamp, draw, flex, get wise to, harness, strech, stretch, tauten, tension, tighten, to stretch, wind up), gespannt (agog, anxious, anxiously, close, curious, eager, eagerly, fancy, inquisitive, rapt, strained, taut, tautly, tensely, tensly), zeit (age, hour, hours, period, tide, time, while). (various references)

Greek 

σε υπερένταση, χρόνοσ ρήματοσ, χρόνοσ γραμματικήσ, ανήσυχος (anxious, apprehensive, concerned, inquiring, restive, restless, worried about), τεντώνω (crane, distend, sprawl, strain, stretch), τεντωμένοσ (outstretched, tight), τεντωμένος (stretched, taut), τεταμένοσ (strained, taut). (various references)

Guarani

kuri (immediate past tense marker). (various references)

Hebrew 

מתוח (extending, jumpy, strained, stretched, stretching, strung, taut, tension, tenterhooks, tight, tightening), ל�"מתח (be drawn, be streched), �"רוך (bent, prepared, taut, trigger, vigilant), � ר�'ש (affectionate, aflutter, astir, excited, impassioned, moved, tempestuous). (various references)

Hungarian

feszült (absorbed, drawn, earnest, intensive, strained, strung, uptight). (various references)

Indonesian

tegang, masa (epoch, era, period, season, term), genting (critical, frayed, narrow, precarious). (various references)

Italian

tirato (taut, tight), teso (aimed, drawn, strained, stressed, stretched, taut, tight, tighten, wound-up), tendere (be inclined, bend, draw, hold out, intend, lay, set, strain, stretch, tighten, trend, verge), tempo grammaticale, tempo (day, period, season, stage, tempo, time, weather, while), nervoso (edgy, incisive, irritable, jittery, jumpy, nervous, nervy, sinewy, touchy, worked up), in tensione. (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

緊迫した (strained), テロ対策 (10, 99.99999999%, anti-terrorist, temper, tempera, temperament, temperate, tempo, temporary, temporary worker, temptation, tempura, ten, ten key, ten nines, tendency, tenderloin, tenderloin steak, ten-gallon hat, tension, tension people, tensor, tent), 時相 , 時制 , 未来　 (future life), 張り詰めた (high-strung). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

テンス , き�"ぱくした (strained), じそう (acolyte, aspect, children, phase, phenomenon), じせい (conditions, death, death poem, growing wild, homemade, magnetism, native, passing away, reflection, self control, self restraint, self-examination, spirit of the age, the times, trends), はりつめた (high-strung). (various references)

Korean 

시� �. (various references)

Manx

chionn (austere, busy, delicate, erect, erect as penis, fast, firm, firmly, hard-pressed, hardy, inflated, speedy, stiff, stuck fast, taut, tight-fitting). (various references)

Pig Latin

ensetay.(various references)

Portuguese

tenso (strained, taut, tight), tempo (hour, period, season, tempo, time, weather, while), retesado (taut), estirado (tension levelled), esticado (outstretched, strained, taut, tight). (various references)

Romanian

timp (age, beat, course, cycle, date, day, distance, epoch, era, hour, length, period, season, term, time, weather, while), întins (broad, even, expanse, expansion, expansive, extensive, flat, flatly, large, lengthy, mighty, open, outspread, prone, recumbent, smooth, spacious, sprawling, strained, stretched, supine, taut, vast), încordat (concentrated, feverishly, hard, intensive, intent, parlous, strained, strenuous, strenuously). (various references)

Russian 

создавать напряжение, натягиваться (draw, strain, stretch, tighten), натягивать (draw, draw on, pull on, strain, stretch, string, tauten, tighten), натянутый (far fetched, strained), напрягать время напряженный, напряженный (all out, constrained, ding-dong, highly strung, intense, strained, strenuous, uptight, wrought up). (various references)

Scottish

teann (begin; come nigh : teannadh ri, fall to, fixed, miserly, narrow, rigid, strait, tight). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

zatezati se, zategnuti (strain, stretch, tighten), zategnut (strained, taut, tight), zapet, vreme (epoch, season, spell, time, weather), nategnuti (quaff, stretch), naprezati (strain, tauten, tighten), napeti (fray, strain), napet (intent, uptight). (various references)

Spanish

tenso (concerted, fraught, heavy-laden, kickshaw, nail biting, strained, taut, uptight). (various references)

Swedish

tempus, spänd (excited, high strung, nervy, strained, taut, tight, uptight). (various references)

Turkish

zaman (bout, cycle, date, day, father time, hour, sands, season, time, when, while, whilst), kip (modal, mode, module, mood, paradigm), germek (bag, distend, draw, hang on, lift, rack, span, sprawl out, stay, strain, stretch, stretch out, string, tauten, tighten, tighten up), gerilmek (be stressed, be stretched, be tightened, distend, strain, tauten), gergin (drawn, high strung, highly strung, jittery, jumpy, nervous, nervy, on a knife-edge, on edge, on pins and needles, skittish, spread, stiff, strained, stressfull, stretched, taut, tight, uptight). (various references)

Turkmen 

dartgynly (intense). (various references)

Ukrainian

час (date, hour, time, while), натягуватися (tauten, tighten), натягувати (brace, draw on, pull, pull on, shuffle on, string), натягнутий (extended, far fetched, forced, non-natural, strained, wire-drawn), збуджувати (actuate, agitate, amove, animate, arouse, electrify, elevate, exalt, excite, flurry, flush, incite, innervate, key up, kindle, pique, provoke, stimulate, thrill, wake, whet, wind up, work up), збуджений (ablaze, agitated, animate, astir, excited, feverish, heated, hot, intoxicate, irritated, nervy, overwrought, spasmodic, tumultuous, warm, wrought). (various references)

Vietnamese 

găng, căng căng thẳng. (various references)

Welsh

amser (tempo, time, while). (various references)

contenta, contenti, contentus, intentus. (various references)

tens. (various references)

Derivations

Words beginning with "tense": tensed, tensely, tenseness, tensenesses, tenser, tenses, tensest. (additional references)

Words ending with "tense": hyperintense, hypertense, intense, overintense, pretense. (additional references)

Words containing "tense": intensely, intenseness, intensenesses, intenser, intensest, pretenses. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Tense" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: ense, etnae, fense, Mtensk, Shensi, tanes, Tansu, Tanzen, Tanzi, teese, telsa, Temne, tence, tende, tenea, teneb, tenel, tenen, tenesse, tenessee, tenge, tenje, tenre, tensel, tensen, tensf, tenst, tente, tenz, teose, tese, tesne, teso, tience, tienes, tince, tinse, tinsex, tinze, tonze, tonzi, Trenes, trense, Tunze, wense. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Direct Anagrams: sente, teens.

-1 letter: nest, nets, seen, sene, sent, teen, tees, tens.

-2 letters: ens, nee, net, see, sen, set, tee, ten.

-3 letters: en, es, et, ne.

+1 letter: enates, enters, events, genets, gentes, nested, nester, nestle, newest, renest, rentes, resent, sateen, senate, sennet, teensy, tenets, tensed, tenser, tenses, tenues, ternes, treens, yentes.

+2 letters: bennets, boneset, butenes, cements, cenotes, centers, centres, cetanes, dements, denotes, densest, descent, destine, detents, earnest, eastern, eluents, emetins, endites, entases, enthuse, entices, entires, entrees, entries, estrone, etesian, ethanes, ethenes, ethynes, evenest, extends, extents, externs, gentles, gerents, intense, jennets, keenest, ketenes, ketones, knesset, lateens, leanest, lisente, meanest, nearest, neatens, neatest, negates, nesters, nestled, nestler, nestles, netless, netsuke, netters, nettles, neuters, openest, outseen, pectens, penates, penster, pentose, posteen, poteens, present, regents, relents, renests, rennets, renters, repents, resents, retenes, retines, retunes, sateens, scented, segment, sejeant, senates, sennets, sensate, sequent, serpent, sestine, setline, seventh, seventy, sienite, sixteen, standee, steepen, stelene, sterner, styrene, subteen, sweeten, syenite, teeners, teentsy, telnets, tenaces, tenches, tenders, tenners, tennies, tenrecs, tensely, tensest, tensile, tensive, tenters, tenures, theines, tonemes, townees, trienes, tureens, unsteel, venters, western, wetness, yestern.