adj.
1.in or of a state of physical or nervous tension
2.pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat')
3.taut or rigid tense n.
1.a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time tense v.
1.stretch or force to the limit
2.increase the tension on
3.become tense or tenser
4.make tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious