tense
/tɛns/
adjective
- Feeling nervous, worried, or unable to relax.
- He gets tense whenever he has to speak in public.
- She felt tense before her big job interview.
- The room was tense as everyone waited for the test results.
- Causing a feeling of nervousness or worry; not calm.
- The movie had a tense scene where the hero almost fell off the cliff.
- The political situation in the country is very tense right now.
- There was a tense silence after his angry comment.
- Stretched tight; not loose or relaxed.
- Her muscles were tense from holding the heavy box for so long.
- The rope was pulled tense across the gap.
- Make sure the string is tense so the kite will fly properly.
noun
- A form of a verb that shows the time when an action happens (past, present, or future).
- The teacher explained the difference between present tense and future tense.
- You need to use the correct tense when writing a story.
- In English, the past tense of 'walk' is 'walked'.
verb
- To make your muscles tight and stiff, often because you are nervous or preparing for something.
- Try not to tense your jaw when you are stressed.
- She tensed her legs before jumping into the pool.
- He tensed his shoulders when he heard the loud noise.
- To become tight or stiff.
- His face tensed when he heard the bad news.
- The cat's muscles tensed before it pounced.
- Her body tensed as she braced for the impact.