· a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time

Hypernym(s): grammatical_category, syntactic_category

· become stretched or tense or taut; "the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed"; "the rope strained when the weight was attached"

Synonym(s): strain

Hypernym(s): tighten

· increase the tension on; "alternately relax and tense your calf muscle"; "tense the rope manually before tensing the spring"

Hypernym(s): change, alter, modify

· become tense, nervous, or uneasy; "He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room"

Synonym(s): tense_up

Hypernym(s): change_state, turn

Antonym(s): relax

· cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious; "he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up"

Synonym(s): strain, tense_up

Hypernym(s): affect

Antonym(s): relax

· in or of a state of physical or nervous tension

Antonym(s): relaxed

· pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat')

Antonym(s): lax

· taut or rigid; stretched tight; "tense piano strings"

Antonym(s): lax