tense (
http://definr.com/tense)
adj 1: in or of a state of physical or nervous tension [ant:
relaxed]
2: (phonetics) pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles
(e.g., the vowel sound in `beat') [ant:
lax]
3: taut or rigid; stretched tight; "tense piano strings" [ant:
lax]
n : a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions
of time
v 1: stretch or force to the limit; "strain the rope" [syn:
strain]
2: increase the tension on; "tense a rope"
3: become tense or tenser; "He tensed up when he saw his
opponent enter the room" [syn:
tense up] [ant:
relax]
4: make tense [syn:
strain,
tense up] [ant:
relax,
relax]