Tension meaning

tĕn'shən
Voltage or potential; electromotive force.
noun
8
11
To subject to tension; tighten.
verb
7
9
A balanced relation between strongly opposing elements.
noun
4
2
A tensing or being tensed.
noun
2
2
The interplay of conflicting elements in a piece of literature, especially a poem.
noun
2
3
Advertisement
A state of strained relations; uneasiness due to mutual hostility.
noun
1
1
(physics, engineering) State of an elastic object which is stretched in a way which increases its length.
noun
1
1
Mental or nervous strain, often accompanied by muscular tautness.
noun
0
1
A device for regulating tension or tautness, as of thread in a sewing machine.
noun
0
1
A balancing of forces or elements in opposition.
noun
0
1
Advertisement
To subject to tension.
verb
0
1
A force that tends to stretch or elongate something.
0
1
An electrical potential (voltage), especially as measured in electrical components such as transformers or power lines involved in the transmission of electrical power.
0
1
Condition of being held in a state between two or more forces, which are acting in opposition to each other.
noun
0
1
Psychological state of being tense.
noun
0
1
Advertisement
(physics, engineering) Force transmitted through a rope, string, cable, or similar object (used with prepositions on, in, or of, e.g., "The tension in the cable is 1000 N", to convey that the same magnitude of force applies to objects attached to both ends).
noun
0
1
(physics) Voltage. Usually only the terms low tension, high tension, and extra-high tension, and the abbreviations LT, HT, and EHT are used. They are not precisely defined; LT is normally a few volts, HT a few hundreds of volts, and EHT thousands of volts.
noun
0
1
To place an object in tension, to pull or place strain on.

We tensioned the cable until it snapped.

verb
0
1
Tension is physical or mental strain, the force created by pulling something tight or a strain in a relationship.

An example of tension is the feeling of working to meet an established deadline.

An example of tension is pulling the two ends of a rubber band further and further apart from each other.

An example of tension is an awkward feeling between two friends after a big fight.

noun
0
2
A device for regulating tautness, especially a device that controls the tautness of thread on a sewing machine or loom.
noun
0
2
Advertisement

A high-tension cable.

noun
0
2
The expansive force, or pressure, of a gas or vapor.
noun
0
2

Origin of tension

  • Latin tēnsiō tēnsiōn- a stretching out from tēnsus past participle of tendere to stretch tense1
    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
  • From Middle French tension.
    From Wiktionary

Tension Sentence Examples

  • The tension was paying its toll in another way.

  • He shook the tension out of his shoulders.

  • As the weekend drew nearer, the tension grew.

  • All this tension was ruining the evening for both of them.

  • She couldn't tell, except that the tension in the room was increasing.

More sentences →

Related articles

Also Mentioned In

Words near tension in the Dictionary