# tension

Pronunciation: US say "TEN-shun" /ˈtɛnʃən/; UK

## Noun

1. A mental state of feeling nervous, strained, or unable to relax.
   - Simple: A nervous, worried feeling that makes it hard to relax.
   - _Months of overwork left him in a near-constant state of tension._
   - _The long delay raised the tension among the waiting passengers._
2. The condition of being held between two or more forces that act in opposition to one another.
   - Simple: A pulling or pushing between two forces that work against each other.
   - _The structure stays balanced through the tension between its cables and its supports._
   - _A beam pulled by two opposing forces is held in tension until one side gives way._
3. A feeling of nervousness, excitement, or fear created in a movie, book, or similar work; suspense.
   - Simple: The exciting, nervous feeling a story or movie gives you while you wait to see what happens.
   - _The director builds tension by cutting away just before the danger appears._
   - _By the final act, the tension in the novel had become almost unbearable._
4. The pulling force transmitted along a rope, string, or cable, with the same magnitude acting at each end.
   - Simple: The pulling force that travels through a rope, string, or cable.
   - _The crane operator made sure the cable's tension stayed below the safe limit._
   - _When the climber hangs still, the tension in the rope equals her weight._
5. The state of an elastic object that has been stretched so that its length increases.
   - Simple: The stretched state of an elastic thing when it is pulled longer.
   - _The fabric was held under tension across the frame to keep it perfectly flat._
   - _Too much tension in the elastic cord caused it to tear._
7. Voltage; the electrical potential difference that drives current through a circuit.
   - Simple: Voltage: the push that moves electricity through a wire.
   - _Engineers measured the tension at the transformer's output terminals._
   - _The substation steps the tension down before electricity reaches homes._

## Verb

6. To place an object under strain by pulling it tight.
   - Simple: To pull something tight or put strain on it.
   - _Technicians tension the steel rods to strengthen the concrete beam._
   - _Before each show, she tensions every string on the harp._

## Origin

Borrowed from Middle French 'tension', which comes from the Latin 'tēnsiō'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/tension (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).