TENSION

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does tension mean? 

• TENSION (noun)
  The noun TENSION has 6 senses:

1. (psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense

2. the physical condition of being stretched or strained

3. a balance between and interplay of opposing elements or tendencies (especially in art or literature)

4. (physics) a stress that produces an elongation of an elastic physical body

5. feelings of hostility that are not manifest

6. the action of stretching something tight

  Familiarity information: TENSION used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TENSION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

stress; tenseness; tension

Context example:

stress is a vasoconstrictor

Hypernyms ("tension" is a kind of...):

mental strain; nervous strain; strain ((psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress)

Domain category:

psychological science; psychology (the science of mental life)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tension"):

yips (nervous tension that causes an athlete to fail (especially causes golfers to miss short putts))

breaking point ((psychology) stress at which a person breaks down or a situation becomes crucial)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The physical condition of being stretched or strained

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

tautness; tenseness; tension; tensity

Context example:

he could feel the tenseness of her body

Hypernyms ("tension" is a kind of...):

condition; status (a state at a particular time)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tension"):

tone; tonicity; tonus (the elastic tension of living muscles, arteries, etc. that facilitate response to stimuli)

Derivation:

tense (cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious)

tense (become tense, nervous, or uneasy)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A balance between and interplay of opposing elements or tendencies (especially in art or literature)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

there is a tension between these approaches to understanding history

Hypernyms ("tension" is a kind of...):

balance (a state of equilibrium)

Domain category:

art; artistic creation; artistic production (the creation of beautiful or significant things)

literature (creative writing of recognized artistic value)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(physics) a stress that produces an elongation of an elastic physical body

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Context example:

the direction of maximum tension moves asymptotically toward the direction of the shear

Hypernyms ("tension" is a kind of...):

stress ((physics) force that produces strain on a physical body)

Domain category:

natural philosophy; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)

Derivation:

tense (increase the tension on)

tense (become stretched or tense or taut)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Feelings of hostility that are not manifest

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

latent hostility; tension

Context example:

the diplomats' first concern was to reduce international tensions

Hypernyms ("tension" is a kind of...):

antagonism; enmity; hostility (a state of deep-seated ill-will)

Derivation:

tensional (of or relating to or produced by tension)

Sense 6

Meaning:

The action of stretching something tight

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

tension holds the belt in the pulleys

Hypernyms ("tension" is a kind of...):

stretching (act of expanding by lengthening or widening)

Derivation:

tense (increase the tension on)

tense (become stretched or tense or taut)

 Context examples 

It responds to increased muscle tension or contraction as exerted on the tendon, by inhibiting further muscle contraction, which protects against muscle damage.

(Golgi Tendon Organ, NCI Thesaurus)

If any of these qualifiers apply to you, this means that although you might feel some tension at the time, you will find a way to benefit from this lunar eclipse.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

A drug used to treat mild to moderate anxiety and tension and to relax muscles.

(Diazepam, NCI Dictionary)

This evaluation includes testing tension such as pull testing.

(Device Strength Testing Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)

The most common type of headache is a tension headache.

(Headache, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

A drug used to treat anxiety and tension and to relax muscles.

(Midazolam, NCI Dictionary)

The great bow creaked and groaned and the cord vibrated with the tension.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A disorder characterized by apprehension of danger and dread accompanied by restlessness, tension, tachycardia, and dyspnea unattached to a clearly identifiable stimulus.

(Anxiety Disorder, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

In addition, the researchers found that changing the surface tension of the surface, for example by adding washing-up liquid, can stop the sound.

(What causes the sound of a dripping tap – and how do you stop it?, University of Cambridge)

A disorder characterized by a state of restlessness associated with unpleasant feelings of irritability and tension.

(Agitation, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)