tension

tension — noun

1. the worried or anxious feeling that people experience when they are about to fac

1.nounB1
Definition

the worried or anxious feeling that people experience when they are about to face something stressful, like an interview, an exam, or an important performance

Example

The night before her driving test, Sari felt so much tension that she could not sleep.

felt tension before [event]

Omar took three long, slow breaths to relieve the tension before his speech.

relieve tension collocation

Common collocations
  • feel tension
  • relieve tension
  • reduce tension
  • tension rises
  • tension builds
  • create tension
Synonyms
  • stress

    more about long-term mental pressure rather than the immediate nervous feeling before a specific event

  • anxiety

    a deeper, more lasting feeling of worry; less tied to a single upcoming event

  • nervousness

    lighter than tension; a mild, temporary feeling of being uneasy before something

Antonyms
  • calm

    a state of being relaxed and free from worry or nervousness

  • relaxation

    the opposite of the tight, alert feeling that tension brings

Grammar Patterns

uncountable noun

Usage Note

Typically uncountable. Common verb partners include feel, cause, create, reduce, relieve, and ease. Often paired with rising or building to describe the feeling becoming stronger.

Common Mistakes

I feel a lot of tension about my job every day.
I feel a lot of stress about my job every day.
Tension refers to the nervous feeling before a specific event; stress refers to ongoing pressure from work or life.
I had a tension before my test.
I felt tense before my test.
Tension is uncountable and not used with 'a'; use the adjective 'tense' for describing how someone feels.

2. a state of unfriendliness or anger that exists between different groups, such as

2.nounB1
Definition

a state of unfriendliness or anger that exists between different groups, such as ethnic communities, political parties, or countries, when there is little trust between them

Example

The tension between the two political parties made it nearly impossible to pass new laws.

tension between [groups]

Religious tension in the region had been growing for many years before the conflict began.

religious / racial / political + tension

Common collocations
  • tension between
  • racial tension
  • political tension
  • social tension
  • ease tension
  • create tension
  • growing tension
Synonyms
  • hostility

    stronger and more active than tension; suggests open anger or aggressive behavior

  • conflict

    more active than tension; refers to actual fighting or serious disagreement rather than just a strained atmosphere

  • friction

    milder than tension; describes small, ongoing disagreements that cause annoyance

Antonyms
  • harmony

    a state of peaceful agreement and cooperation between groups

  • peace

    the absence of conflict, anger, or hostility between groups or nations

Grammar Patterns

uncountable noun

often followed by between

Usage Note

Frequently modified by adjectives naming the source of conflict: racial, political, social, ethnic, religious. Can be used in the plural (tensions) when referring to multiple sources or instances of conflict. The preposition between is the most common partner, but over can specify the cause of the tension.

Common Mistakes

There was a tension between John and me about the project.
There was some tension between John and me about the project.
Tension is uncountable; do not use 'a' before it.
The tension in the two countries was high.
The tension between the two countries was high.
Use 'between', not 'in', when referring to a relationship.

3. the state of a material, such as a rope, cable, or piece of fabric, being pulled

3.nounB1
Definition

the state of a material, such as a rope, cable, or piece of fabric, being pulled so that it is straight and tight, or the amount of pull applied to keep it that way

Example

The climber checked the tension of the rope before beginning the steep climb.

tension of [rope / cable / wire]

The violin player adjusted the tension of the strings to produce a clearer sound.

adjust the tension collocation

Common collocations
  • high tension
  • low tension
  • adjust the tension
  • tension of a rope
  • tension on a cable
  • release tension
Synonyms
  • tightness

    a more everyday word for how tightly stretched something is; less technical than tension

  • strain

    focuses on the stress or pressure this pulling creates on the material, rather than the degree of stretch

  • tautness

    more formal; describes the condition of being pulled firmly straight without looseness

Antonyms
  • slack

    the opposite of tension; describes a rope or cable that is loose rather than pulled tight

  • looseness

    the condition of not being firmly fixed or stretched

Grammar Patterns

uncountable noun

countable noun for specific measurements

Usage Note

In physics and engineering contexts, tension is a measurable force and can be used as a countable noun (the tensions in the bridge supports). In everyday language, it is usually uncountable. Common verbs: increase, reduce, release, adjust, maintain.

Common Mistakes

The tension of the rope was very strong.
The tension of the rope was very high.
In English, tension is described as high or low, not strong or weak.
The rope needs more tense.
The rope needs more tension.
'Tense' is an adjective, not a noun; 'tension' is the correct noun form.

4. the excited or uncertain feeling that a story, film, play, or piece of music cre

4.nounB2
Definition

the excited or uncertain feeling that a story, film, play, or piece of music creates in the people watching or listening, usually because they do not yet know how things will turn out

Example

The director built up the tension slowly so that the audience stayed on the edge of their seats.

build (up) tension — common artistic collocation

The writer used short, sharp sentences to create tension in the final chapter of her novel.

create tension in [work] pattern

Common collocations
  • dramatic tension
  • narrative tension
  • build tension
  • create tension
  • increase tension
  • maintain tension
Synonyms
  • suspense

    very close in meaning; more specific to the feeling of not knowing what will happen next in a story

  • excitement

    broader and more positive than tension; does not carry the same edge of worry or uncertainty

  • drama

    refers to the overall emotional intensity or conflict in a work, not specifically the uncertain feeling tension describes

Grammar Patterns

uncountable noun

Usage Note

Frequently paired with dramatic, narrative, or musical to specify the type of work. Common in reviews and literary criticism. The verbs build, create, increase, and maintain are the most typical collocates.

Common Mistakes

The movie had a lot of tension.
The movie built tension effectively.
Native speakers more often describe how the tension was created or maintained rather than just stating it existed.
There was tension in the book.
The author used short chapters to create tension in the book.
Pairing tension with a technique makes the sentence more natural and informative.

tension — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe unpleasant mental or emotional states, but they differ in cause and duration. Tension is the short-term, body-focused nervousness before a specific event — like a job interview or a test. Stress is more long-term and comes from ongoing demands of work, school, or life; it often has physical effects like tiredness or headaches. Anxiety is a deeper, more lasting feeling of worry that may not have a clear cause; it can be a clinical condition. Strain suggests pressure that pushes someone near their limit, often from relationships or heavy workloads. Pressure is the feeling that you must meet high expectations set by others or yourself. For example: 'The tension before the exam was intense, but the stress of studying for weeks had been worse. The constant pressure from her parents to get top grades caused her a lot of anxiety, and the strain of keeping up with everything left her exhausted.'

stress ↗anxiety ↗strain ↗pressure ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • source of tension
  • cause of tension
  • state of tension
  • feeling of tension
  • level of tension

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word tension comes from the Latin verb tendere, meaning 'to stretch.' It entered English through French in the 1500s, first used to describe the physical act of stretching something tight. By the 1700s, writers had extended the meaning to describe mental or emotional strain, and later still to the suspenseful feeling created in stories and art. The original idea of stretching or pulling is still visible in all of the modern meanings — whether it is a rope being pulled tight, a person's nerves being pulled by worry, or a relationship being pulled apart by conflict.