Skip to content

tension

/ˈtɛnʃən/noun2 syllables

Tension means: the physical condition of being stretched or strained.

Synonyms for tension5

noun, as in the physical condition of being stretched or strained

tensity, tenseness, tautness

noun, as in (psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense

tenseness, stress

noun, as in feelings of hostility that are not manifest

latent hostility

What does tension mean?6

noun

1

the physical condition of being stretched or strained“it places great tension on the leg muscles”

2

(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense“he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension”

3

feelings of hostility that are not manifest“he could sense her latent hostility to him”

4

a balance between and interplay of opposing elements or tendencies (especially in art or literature)“there is a tension created between narrative time and movie time”

5

(physics) a stress that produces an elongation of an elastic physical body“the direction of maximum tension moves asymptotically toward the direction of the shear”

6

the action of stretching something tight“tension holds the belt in the pulleys”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

What rhymes with tension?17

Show 40 near rhymes

Tension in a sentence

  • With each drop of water, he could feel his tension melting away slowly.Nuel
  • I feel the tension in my neck, where it gets sore and stiff.unknown
  • Igor wanted to clear his mind and ease the tension.Amastan
  • The specialist predicts international tension will build up.unknown
  • I have a lot of tension in my back.Hybrid
  • The photo catches the tension in the court very well.unknown
  • His joke eased the tension in the room.CM
  • The tension was so high you could cut it with a knife.Nuel

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of tension

as a noun

plural
tensions