Meaning & use
tense
Feeling or showing nervousness, stress, or strain, either physically or emotionally.
See it in a sentence
The room grew tense as the judges prepared to announce the winner.
He felt tense before the interview but calmed down once it started.
A note on using this word
As a grammar term, "tense" refers to the verb form showing when an action happens, such as past, present, or future.
Words with a similar meaning
anxiousstrained
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
relaxed
Another way to use it
2. noun
A grammatical form of a verb that shows the time an action takes place, such as past, present, or future.
The teacher explained how to change a verb from present tense to past tense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tense”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.