tension
ten shuhn
- n (psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension - n the physical condition of being stretched or strained
it places great tension on the leg muscles - n a balance between and interplay of opposing elements or tendencies (especially in art or literature)
there is a tension created between narrative time and movie time
there is a tension between these approaches to understanding history - n (physics) a stress that produces an elongation of an elastic physical body
the direction of maximum tension moves asymptotically toward the direction of the shear - n feelings of hostility that are not manifest
the diplomats' first concern was to reduce international tensions - n the action of stretching something tight
tension holds the belt in the pulleys
- Far from helping ease the tension, politicians have sought to exploit it.
- Since war started the chief city of the border state of Missouri has had small incidents and tall talk of racial tension but no real race troubleuntil last week.
- The jumpy island of Cyprus, where Turkish and Greek Cypriots have been savaging each other for the past fortnight, last week showed a faint relaxation of tension.