tense

adj.

1. 神经紧张的；担心的；不能松弛的
   nervous or worried, and unable to relax
   1. He's a very tense person.
      他是个神经非常紧张的人。
   2. She sounded tense and angry.
      她的声音听起来又气又急。
2. 令人紧张的（或焦虑的、满腹愤懑的等）
   in which people have strong feelings such as worry, anger, etc. that often cannot be expressed openly
   1. I spent a tense few weeks waiting for the results of the tests.
      等候测试结果的这几个星期里我寝食不安。
   2. The atmosphere in the meeting was getting more and more tense.
      会议的气氛越来越紧张。
3. 绷紧的；不松弛的
   tight rather than relaxed
   1. A massage will relax those tense muscles.
      按摩会使紧张的肌肉松弛。
4. 拉紧的；绷紧的
   stretched tightly
5. 紧的；紧张音的
   produced with the muscles of the speech organs stretched tight

noun

1. （动词的）时，时态
   any of the forms of a verb that may be used to show the time of the action or state expressed by the verb
   1. the past/present/future tense
      过去 / 现在 / 将来时态

verb

1. （使肌肉）拉紧，绷紧
   if you tense your muscles, or you or your muscles tense , they become tight and stiff, especially because you are not relaxed
   1. His muscles tensed as he got ready to run.
      他准备起跑时肌肉绷紧了。
   2. She tensed, hearing the strange noise again.
      再次听到那个奇怪的声音，她紧张起来。
   3. She tensed her muscles in anticipation of the blow.
      眼看要挨打，她绷紧了肌肉。
   4. He tensed himself, listening to see if anyone had followed him.
      他竖起耳朵谛听是否有人跟踪。

1. ADJ-GRADED (局势、时期)令人紧张的，让人焦虑的
   A tense situation or period of time is one that makes people anxious, because they do not know what is going to happen next.
   1. This gesture of goodwill did little to improve the tense atmosphere at the talks...
      这一友好姿态基本上没有改善会谈的紧张气氛。
   2. After three very tense weeks he phoned again...
      过了紧张不安的 3 个星期，他又一次打来电话。
   3. There was a tense silence.
      有一阵令人局促不安的沉默。
2. ADJ-GRADED 紧张的;焦虑的;无法放松的
   If you are tense, you are anxious and nervous and cannot relax.
   1. Dart, who had at first been very tense, at last relaxed.
      起初，达特非常紧张，最后终于放松了下来。
3. ADJ-GRADED (肌肉)紧张的，绷紧的
   If your body is tense, your muscles are tight and not relaxed.
   1. She lay, eyes shut, body tense...
      她躺着，双目紧闭，全身绷直。
   2. A bath can relax tense muscles.
      洗个澡可以放松紧张的肌肉。
4. V-ERG （使）（肌肉）紧张，绷紧
   If your muscles tense, if you tense, or if you tense your muscles, your muscles become tight and stiff, often because you are anxious or frightened.
   1. Newman's stomach muscles tensed...
      纽曼的腹肌绷紧了。
   2. He tensed as the big West Indian gripped his shoulder...
      那个大块头西印度群岛土著人抓住他的肩膀时，他浑身紧张起来。
   3. Jane tensed her muscles to stop them from shaking.
      简把肌肉绷紧，不让它们颤抖。
   4. Tense up means the same as tense .
      tense up 同 tense
   5. When we are under stress our bodies tend to tense up...
      人一紧张，身体就会变僵硬。
   6. I tried not to tense up, or become obviously wary...
      我尽量不让自己紧张，或者表现得非常警觉。
   7. Tense up the muscles in both of your legs.
      把两腿的肌肉绷紧。
5. N-COUNT (动词的)时，时态
   The tense of a verb group is its form, which usually shows whether you are referring to past, present, or future time.
   1. It was as though Corinne was already dead: they were speaking of her in the past tense.
      科琳娜好像已经去世了：他们谈论她时用的是过去时。

1. Williams's play is a tense contemporary three-hander about two murderers and a bank-robber.
   威廉斯的这部戏剧是一部关于两个凶手和一个银行抢劫犯的扣人心弦的现代三人剧。
2. Even a casual observer could hardly have failed to notice the heightening of an already tense atmosphere.
   即便是不经意的旁观者也一定已经觉察到本就紧张的气氛进一步加剧了。
3. The gentlest of her caresses would contort his already tense body
   她最温柔的爱抚会让他已然紧绷的身体变得扭曲。
4. She coveted his job so openly that conversations between them were tense.
   她毫不隐讳地表示想得到他的工作，以至于他们之间说话都带着火药味。
5. It had been a tense, restless day with people crowding her all the time.
   这是紧张、忙碌的一天，每时每刻都有人围在她身旁。
6. They seem less tense, more even-tempered.
   他们看起来不那么紧张，更加平和了。
7. If at any point you feel yourself becoming tense, make a conscious effort to relax
   如果什么时候感到紧张，就有意识地放松。
8. His eyes glittered with a tense amusement.
   他眼里流露出一丝紧张和愉悦。
9. It was a day of tense and often ill-tempered debate.
   那天的辩论紧张激烈，常常火药味十足。
10. When we are tired, tense, depressed or unwell, we feel pain much more
    当我们劳累、紧张、沮丧或生病时，疼痛感更明显。
11. Never had she seen him so tense, so quick to take offence as he had been in recent weeks.
    她从未见过他像最近几周这样高度紧张，动不动就生气。
12. The situation remains tense
    形势持续紧张。
13. His voice had lost its resonance; it was tense and strained.
    他的声音不再洪亮，而是显得紧张，不太自然。
14. She seemed nervous or tense, and she was definitely short with me.
    她似乎很焦虑，抑或是很紧张，对我明显很不客气。
15. Even though her parents have long since died, she still talks about them in the present tense.
    尽管双亲早已离世，她谈论起他们时好像他们至今健在。
16. This gesture of goodwill did little to improve the tense atmosphere at the talks
    这一友好姿态基本上没有改善会谈的紧张气氛。
17. After three very tense weeks he phoned again
    过了紧张不安的3个星期，他又一次打来电话。
18. There was a tense silence.
    有一阵令人局促不安的沉默。
19. Dart, who had at first been very tense, at last relaxed.
    起初，达特非常紧张，最后终于放松了下来。
20. She lay, eyes shut, body tense
    她躺着，双目紧闭，全身绷直。
21. A bath can relax tense muscles.
    洗个澡可以放松紧张的肌肉。
22. Newman's stomach muscles tensed
    纽曼的腹肌绷紧了。
23. He tensed as the big West Indian gripped his shoulder
    那个大块头西印度群岛土著人抓住他的肩膀时，他浑身紧张起来。
24. Jane tensed her muscles to stop them from shaking.
    简把肌肉绷紧，不让它们颤抖。
25. It was as though Corinne was already dead: they were speaking of her in the past tense.
    科琳娜好像已经去世了：他们谈论她时用的是过去时。
26. Conditions are still very tense and the fighting could escalate at any time.
    局势仍然非常紧张，战斗随时可能升级。
27. My arms are tired, and my back is tense.
    我的胳膊很累，背部肌肉紧绷得难受。
28. The present international situation remains tense and turbulent.
    当前的国际局势依然紧张动荡。
29. She was very tense, but she preserved an appearance of nonchalance.
    她内心很紧张，可外表却装着满不在乎的样子。
30. Things are tense.
    风声紧。

v.

be/get tensed up

• 变得神经紧张；变得焦虑不安
  to become or feel nervous or worried so that you cannot relax

noun

1. a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time

verb

1. cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious
   1. he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up

   Synonym:    straintense up

2. become tense, nervous, or uneasy
   1. He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room

   Synonym:    tense up

3. increase the tension on
   1. alternately relax and tense your calf muscle
   2. tense the rope manually before tensing the spring

4. become stretched or tense or taut
   1. the bodybuilder's neck muscles tense

   Synonym:    strain

adj

1. taut or rigid
   1. tense piano strings

2. pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat')

3. in or of a state of physical or nervous tension