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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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
That kicked off some of the tensest moments of the standoff, LaRue said. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026 This is not the only present-tense intrusion into Warnick’s period piece, which follows twenty-something cousins Mei and Chris (played by Warnick) in 1970s Chinatown. — Dylan Adamson, IndieWire, 21 July 2026
Verb
Instead, he was intrigued by a scene in which Back visibly tensed up after the producers told him he was suspected of being Satoshi. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 9 Apr. 2026 The slope down to the sidewalk was barely an inch high, but everyone tensed. — IEEE Spectrum, 1 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
  • If anyone was worried about a lack of personality from SEC coaches this coming season, their fears were likely quelled during SEC Media Days this week.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026
  • Luria, however, worried about that tangle of investments which bind the AI giants to their own customers; the love triangle of Google, Amazon and Anthropic; Microsoft and OpenAI, Nvidia and CoreWeave.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 23 July 2026
Definition of worried
Adjective
  • But further listens reveal something uneasy below the surface.
    — Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026
  • Casey imagines America as a crumbling hotel, with each of the album’s nine songs occupying a room haunted by its own uneasy guest.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 22 July 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • The city is considering imposing tighter curfew rules, for example.
    — Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 28 July 2026
  • The mainly American mainstays monopolize the market, while denim production has tight margins and is resource-intensive.
    — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 28 July 2026
Definition of tight
Verb
  • If the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed into the fall, markets may be forced to reprice oil sharply higher as supply tightens.
    — Justin Zacks, CNBC, 24 July 2026
  • As for the joys of the process, the director recalls the thrills of rediscovering his grandfather’s literary work, as well as tightening his relationship with his family, and forming a close bond with the crew.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 24 July 2026
Definition of tighten
Adjective
  • And investors are increasingly nervous about when and whether the mind-boggling sums being spent by Big Tech on data centers will ever generate returns.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
  • This can reduce uncertainty for patients who are nervous about traveling abroad.
    — Nia Bowers, USA Today, 22 July 2026
Definition of nervous
Adjective
  • In a handwritten criminal complaint, Patty’s ex-wife described a disturbing physical altercation that allegedly left her with a swollen arm, neck pain and a bump on her head.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
  • The 1981 film revolves around a woman who begins exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking her husband for a divorce.
    — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 29 July 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • 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
  • Bass is taut and clean, midrange clear and expressive, and treble crisp and extended for a high definition performance with all manner of music.
    — Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of taut
Adjective
  • Kids who, like him, are growing up afraid and anxious because of domestic violence at home, and who need what Torre didn’t have — somewhere safe to go to for help.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
  • In June, a group of anxious European policy researchers issued Europe 2031, a scenario in which civilization between the Urals and the Atlantic ends up at least functionally extinct.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026
Definition of anxious

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tense
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Cite this Entry

“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tense

Nglish: Translation of tense for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tense

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