Meaning & use
Tensing
Last updated
Making or becoming tight, rigid, or strained, especially of muscles in preparation for effort or in response to stress.
See it in a sentence
He felt his shoulders tensing as the deadline drew closer.
The athlete kept tensing and relaxing her legs while waiting for the starting gun.
A note on using this word
'Tensing' is the present participle of 'tense' used as a verb, distinct from the adjective 'tense,' which describes the resulting state.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
relaxingloosening
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