tense

1 of 3

adjective

tenser; tensest
1
: stretched tight : made taut : rigid
tense muscles
2
a
: feeling or showing nervous tension
a tense smile
b
: marked by strain or suspense
a tense thriller
3
: produced with the muscles involved in a relatively tense state
the vowels \ē\ and \ü\ in contrast with the vowels \i\ and \u̇\ are tense
tensely adverb
tenseness noun

tense

2 of 3

verb

tensed; tensing

transitive verb

: to make tense

intransitive verb

: to become tense
tensed up and missed the putt

tense

3 of 3

noun

1
: a distinction of form in a verb to express distinctions of time or duration of the action or state it denotes
2
a
: a set of inflectional forms of a verb that express distinctions of time
b
: an inflectional form of a verb expressing a specific time distinction

Examples of tense in a Sentence

Adjective She was feeling pretty tense. Why are you so tense? We sat quietly for a few tense moments. It was a tense meeting. My calf muscles are really tense. Verb She tensed as he walked toward her. He tensed up and missed the putt. Noun The sentence will read better if you change the tense of the verb. You should avoid changing tense in the middle of a paragraph.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Across from them, a man in a dark suit sat alone, a sheaf of papers in front of him, his shoulders braced in the tense posture of someone who has been authorized to spend a million dollars of his boss’s money. Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Garland gives the character several opportunities to reconnect with her humanity, even as this tense, increasingly brutal road trip pushes the team deeper into the proverbial heart of darkness. Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 However, the report will open old wounds for both Unilever and its investors after a tense battle over Schumacher’s pay in 2023. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 15 Mar. 2024 One of the most tense scenes in the film is when the group of scientists working on the atomic bomb witness its first explosion in a test. Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2024 Friday’s game might have been the most tense of them all. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 An argument over a Taco Bell order became more tense when a customer pulled a gun, Georgia police said. Makiya Seminera, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Mnangagwa was reelected for a second term in office last August after securing an absolute majority in a tense presidential contest that was marred by delays and said by observers to have fallen short of regional and international standards. Nimi Princewill, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 While November may seem quite a ways away, the U.S. general election is quickly approaching, and employers would be remiss to ignore how the tense political climate could impact the workplace. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024
Verb
Four young soldiers looked on, fingers tensed on triggers, as the machine’s claws heaved shattered masonry from clutching mud. Roger Cohen, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024 If humming doesn’t appeal, try tensing your toes to banish stress instead. Georgia Day, Glamour, 25 Dec. 2023 These had to be reinforced, and the stunt women tensed by four-way harnesses and aided by a wind-machine at the back of the car so as to stand up at speeds of 120 mph. John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Dec. 2023 Set-up: The band should go mid-quad above the knee to tense the legs. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 3 Jan. 2024 According to researchers at the University of Maryland, alternately tensing the toes on each foot then releasing them can help distract the mind from negative thoughts and draw tension away from the rest of your body, enabling you to relax more easily. Georgia Day, Glamour, 25 Dec. 2023 Servers tensed and hustled as Onwuachi shouted directions and called for extra hands. Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023 Medicine ball fight The final ab-conditioning exercise is a bit of a curveball—or medicine ball, to be exact—and involves simply throwing themselves onto medicine balls, tensing the core as much as possible prior to impact. Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 13 Aug. 2023 Altruism is a daily practice, a muscle waiting to be tensed and strengthened. Lori Keong, ELLE Decor, 12 Apr. 2023
Noun
Amazon, however, said the story is inaccurate—in the present tense, at least. Chris Morris, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2024 When most top athletes retire, the discussion is in the past tense, an assessment of accomplishments and legacies. John Branch, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2024 That’s perhaps why its founder doesn’t like talking about the Cube in the past tense. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 14 Jan. 2024 Goldman’s Launch With GS website was quietly updated in recent weeks to describe the initiative in the past tense and say that the bank deployed $1 billion to meet its goal. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 11 Jan. 2024 Anyone can learn how to say the months and days of the week in another language, but learning the intricacies of tenses and grammar draws a very real line in the sand between hobby and life-long commitment. Olivia Hart, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2023 Andre Braugher was spectacular, and having to refer to the actor, who died Monday at 61, in the past tense is gutting. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2023 Integrating their personal reflections into Woolf’s story, the filmmaker pulls its drama into the present tense and even into a visionary future. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023 But those and other, more personal elements represent just the present tense. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 13 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tense.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Latin tensus, from past participle of tendere "to extend outward, stretch, spread out" — more at tender entry 3

Verb

derivative of tense entry 1

Noun

Middle English tens, borrowed from Anglo-French tens, temps "time, moment, season, tense," going back to Latin tempus "period of time, season, tense" — more at tempo

First Known Use

Adjective

1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1676, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tense was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near tense

Cite this Entry

“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tense. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tense

1 of 3 noun
: a form of a verb used to show the past, present, or future time of the action or state it denotes

tense

2 of 3 adjective
tenser; tensest
1
: stretched tight : made rigid
tense muscles
2
: feeling or showing nervous tension
a tense smile
3
: marked by strain or uncertainty
a tense moment
tensely adverb
tenseness noun

tense

3 of 3 verb
tensed; tensing
: to make or become tense
Etymology

Noun

Middle English tens "time, tense," from early French tens (same meaning), from Latin tempus "time" — related to temporary

Adjective

from Latin tensus "stretched tight," from tendere "to stretch" — related to tender entry 2

Medical Definition

tense

1 of 2 adjective
tenser; tensest
1
: stretched tight : made taut or rigid
the skeletal musculature involuntarily becomes tenseH. G. Armstrong
2
: feeling or showing nervous tension
was tense and irritable
tenseness noun

tense

2 of 2 verb
tensed; tensing

transitive verb

: to make tense
tense a muscle

intransitive verb

: to become tense

More from Merriam-Webster on tense

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