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Meaning & use

straining

adjective, noun·Academic

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UK/ˈstreɪ.nɪŋ/
US/ˈstreɪ.nɪŋ/

Meanings

  1. adjectivebefore a noun

    Making a hard effort, stretching or pulling with great force.

    Grammar: Comes before a noun and describes a thing in the act of effort: straining muscles.

    The straining rope finally snapped.

    He felt his straining muscles burn on the last hill.

    The straining dog pulled hard at its leash.

  2. adjectivebefore a nounfigurative

    Under pressure or stress, and close to breaking.

    Grammar: Used for things being tested: a straining friendship, straining resources.

    The couple's straining marriage did not survive the move.

    Straining budgets forced the school to cut programs.

    The hospital's straining resources were stretched by the flu season.

  3. noununcountable

    The act of using great effort, or filtering a liquid through a sieve.

    Grammar: The -ing noun: the straining of pasta, or the straining of muscles.

    Patterns

    • the straining of something

    The straining of the pasta takes only a minute.

    Straining at the weights left him sore.

    Constant straining of the eyes can cause headaches.

Common combinations

straining muscles
Her straining muscles shook as she held the pose.
straining at the leash
The puppy was straining at the leash.
straining relationship
A straining relationship is hard to repair.
straining to hear
He was straining to hear the whispered words.
straining resources
Floods left the town straining resources.

Synonyms and how they differ

struggling
It stresses difficulty and possible failure, while straining stresses the force of the effort or tension.
stretched
It describes something pulled to a limit and does not suggest active effort.
tense
It describes a tight state, either of a muscle or of a mood.
overburdened
It means given more load than can be coped with.

Opposites

relaxedeffortless

Word family

strain verb
to stretch or push beyond a limit
strain noun
pressure, tension or an injury from overuse
strained adjective
tense or unnatural
strainer noun
a kitchen tool for separating liquid from solids

Commonly confused: straining or straining? straining or straining?

straining vs straining

Do not confuse it with draining; straining separates solids from liquid but draining lets the liquid run away.

straining vs straining

In writing, strained describes the result such as a strained muscle, while straining shows the action in progress.

Practice

With the crowd ___ against the barrier, the police moved to ease the pressure.

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