strain synonyms

strain

n.

  1. Effort

    exertion, struggle, endeavor; see effort 1.

  2. Mental tension

    anxiety, tension, pressure; see stress 3.

  3. A bodily injury less than a sprain

    wrench, twist, stretch, ache, jerk, bruise, charley horse.

  4. Pressure

    tension, force, pull; see stress 2.

strain

v.

  1. To exert

    strive, endeavor, labor; see try 1.

  2. To wrench

    twist, sprain, distort; see hurt 1, wrench.

  3. To stretch

    rack, extend, draw tight; see stretch 2, tighten 1.

  4. To filter

    refine, purify, screen; see filter 2, sift 2.

Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.