Definition of "tense" []

• Tightly stretched; taut. See Synonyms at stiff, tight. (adjective)
• In a state of mental or nervous tension. (adjective)
• Characterized by nervous tension or suspense. (adjective)
• Linguistics Enunciated with taut muscles, as the sound (ē) in keen. (adjective)
• To make or become tense. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Mom backed away, and Grandma sat down again, her expression tense and frightened."
• "The word tense at this juncture would be a grave understatement."
• "To millions of schoolchildren, the word tense meant only how you felt before a pop quiz."