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   tense

   /tɛns/

   adjective

   • 1. (especially of a muscle) stretched tight or rigid: "she tried to relax her tense muscles" Similar tautstretched tighttightrigidstretchedstrainedstiffOpposite slackloose
   • ▪ (of a speech sound, especially a vowel) pronounced with the vocal muscles stretched tight.
   • 2. unable to relax because of nervousness, anxiety, or stimulation: "he was tense with excitement"
   • ▪ causing or characterized by anxiety and nervousness: "they waited in tense silence" Similar anxiousnervouson edgeedgystrainedstressedunder a strainunder pressureagitatedill at easeunrelaxedin a state of nervesin a state of agitationfretfuluneasyrestlessworked upkeyed upoverwroughthighly strungwrought upstrung outjumpyon tenterhookson pins and needleswith one's stomach in knotsfidgetyworriedapprehensiveupsetdisturbedpanickynervyinformal:with butterflies in one's stomacha bundle of nervesjitterytwitchyin a stateuptightwiredhet upstressed outwhite-knuckledstrung upstressywindyspookysquirrellytoeydated:overstrungnerve-rackingstressfulanxiousworryingconcerningfraughtchargedstrainednail-bitingworrisomedifficultuneasyuncomfortableexcitingcliffhangingknife-edgedramaticvolatileexplosiveinformal:hairyanxious-makingwhite-knuckleOpposite calmcoolrelaxedrelaxing

   verb

   • 1. become tense, typically through anxiety or nervousness: "her body tensed up"
   • ▪ make (a muscle or one's body) tight or rigid: "carefully stretch and then tense your muscles"

   Word Origin late 17th century: from Latin tensus ‘stretched’, from the verb tendere.

   Derivatives

   • 1. tensely adverb
   • 2. tenseness noun

   Scrabble Points: 5

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