tense 1 of 3

adjective

ˈten(t)s How to pronounce tense (audio)
Definition of tensenext
1
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty was tense about the upcoming bar exam

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2
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings a tense relationship existed between the two teachers

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3
as in tight
stretched with little or no give a tense rope

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tense

2 of 3

verb (1)

as in to tighten
to draw tight he tensed his muscles and attempted to lift the heavy appliance onto the truck

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tenses

3 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of tense
as in tightens
to draw tight he tensed his muscles and attempted to lift the heavy appliance onto the truck

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tense
Adjective
Eight years later, when the Liberty and Fever played at Barclays Center before a rollicking sellout crowd of 17,581, the final minutes of the tense clash felt like the final minutes of a sudden-death playoff game. — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 But relations with his brother, Prince William, who is heir to the throne, remain tense. — Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
Be a good child, do what they’re told, be the best child, a tremble in their hands, say nothing, tensed for the knock on the door. — Literary Hub, 17 June 2026 Relaxation exercises Stress-reduction techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and tensing and relaxing muscle groups can calm the nervous system and help patients feel more in control of their symptoms, says Moss. — Mark Marino, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
Breezily elegant in execution and at times even Hitchcockian, The Girlfriend is a delicious thriller that tenses up with each new scene and revelation. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tense
  1. worried
  2. uneasy
  3. tight
  4. tighten
  5. nervous
  6. disturbing
  7. taut
  8. anxious
Adjective
  • When Republican lawmakers secured cuts to the United States' largest food assistance program last year, Paige Shoemaker DeMio wasn't worried about children going hungry just at home — but at school.
    — Juliana Kim, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Mattfeld is excellent in what could easily have been a thankless role, playing Ricky with the mien of someone who is always holding it together, years of disappointment and condescension and expectation keeping her eyes worried and jaw tight.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of worried
Adjective
  • As the video popped up on social media and the Spanish-language Facebook group Danbury Al Dia, Hernandez grew uneasy.
    — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In addition to Cima and her father, the film centers on Hig and Bangley (Josh Brolin), two very different men whose uneasy partnership is shaped by the harsh realities of their new world.
    — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • Dow stood with three tattooed and shirtless jumpers, weaving white paracord through hooks in the canvas and cinching it tight.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Given the tight timeframe before the election, Sher is seeking both temporary relief and an interim injunction in the petition to ensure eligible citizens are not disenfranchised while bureaucratic procedures are reviewed.
    — Natasha Mozgovaya, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of tight
Verb
  • As tuition climbs and federal oversight tightens on low-earning programs, a new tool lets families compare outcomes across California campuses.
    — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • At the same time, a July 2026 Federal Reserve survey on bank lending practices showed that, compared to 2005, lending standards have tightened for all types of loans, except commercial and industrial lending.
    — Ryley Amond, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of tighten
Adjective
  • The letter writer is almost 40 and nervous about living with a romantic partner for the first time.
    — Shane O’Neill, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026
  • That energy spike is reinforcing inflation worries in a bond market already nervous about America’s $40 trillion mountain of debt.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of nervous
Adjective
  • The project follows a husband and wife who buy their dream ranch only to discover the land is alive with ancient spirits, and survival means submitting to increasingly disturbing rituals with each turn of the season.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
  • You might be surprised by just how disturbing The Texas Chain Saw Massacre remains more than 50 years later.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • Filmmaker Rubaiyat Hossain crafts a taut supernatural drama that dissects the patriarchy hiding beneath the veneer of a fairytale wedding.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
  • For a woman who died in 1818, her face seems slightly too taut, her eyes slightly too wide, her skin slightly too bright.
    — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Definition of taut
Adjective
  • History suggests that anxious allies who are not reassured by their more powerful patron will invest in their own defense.
    — JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For me, Sliman was pouring water on a dormant seed anxious to sprout.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of anxious

Browse Nearby Words

tens
tense
tensed
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Cite this Entry

“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tense

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tense

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