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tense
1[ tens ]
adjective
- stretched tight, as a cord, fiber, etc.; drawn taut; rigid.
- in a state of mental or nervous strain; high-strung; taut:
a tense person.
- characterized by a strain upon the nerves or feelings:
a tense moment.
- Phonetics. pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles; narrow. Compare lax 1( def 7 ).
verb (used with or without object)
- to make or become tense.
tense
2[ tens ]
noun
- a category of verbal inflection that serves chiefly to specify the time of the action or state expressed by the verb.
- a set of such categories or constructions in a particular language.
- the time, as past, present, or future, expressed by such a category.
- such categories or constructions, or their meanings collectively.
tense
1/ ɛԲ /
adjective
- stretched or stressed tightly; taut or rigid
- under mental or emotional strain
- producing mental or emotional strain
a tense day
- (of a speech sound) pronounced with considerable muscular effort and having relatively precise accuracy of articulation and considerable duration Compare lax
in English the vowel (iː) in ``beam'' is tense
verb
- often foll by up to make or become tense
tense
2/ ɛԲ /
noun
- grammar a category of the verb or verbal inflections, such as present, past, and future, that expresses the temporal relations between what is reported in a sentence and the time of its utterance
tense
- An inflectional ( see inflection ) form of verbs ; it expresses the time at which the action described by the verb takes place. The major tenses are past, present, and future. The verb in “I sing” is in the present tense; in “I sang,” past tense; in “I will sing,” future tense. Other tenses are the present perfect (“I have sung”), the past perfect (“I had sung”), and the future perfect (“I will have sung”).
Derived Forms
- ˈٱԲԱ, noun
- ˈٱԲ, adverb
- ˈٱԲ, adjective
Other Word Forms
- ٱԲl adverb
- ٱԲn noun
- ܲ·ٱԲiԲ adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of tense1
Origin of tense2
Word History and Origins
Origin of tense1
Origin of tense2
Example Sentences
Sheedy missed a late drop goal and penalty.in a tense climax but Cardiff, who have now lost just one of their last six at home, held out for the win.
Sometimes the muscles of the body tense, leading the hands to clamp up into “lobster claws.”
But no foul was called, drawing the ire of Jokic toward an official who issued the technical foul in a game that was getting tense and tighter as it went along.
The rest of the family has been in an increasingly tense dispute with Hochman over the case, accusing the district attorney of mistreating them in private meetings.
During our phone interview, she seamlessly breaks into an impression of former UK Prime Minister Theresa May, but notes that just speaking in a tense, clipped way, "is only good for one line really".
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