tense

noun

a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time

verb

cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious

become tense, nervous, or uneasy

increase the tension on

become stretched or tense or taut

adjective

taut or rigid

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

in or of a state of physical or nervous tension

Roots

tendotens- · Latin · stretch

Synonyms & related words for tense

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of tense — including unrelaxed, tension, taut, tauten, uneasy, strain. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to tense

Explore words related to tense — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include hypertense, overstrung, tensity, tenseness, overwound, backshift, tenser, noninflected. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for tense

Common synonyms for tense include unrelaxed, tension, taut, tauten, uneasy, strain, nervous, jittery — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does tense come from?

The word tense breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root tens-, from Latin tendo (“stretch”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.