Meaning & Definition of Tension in English

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

• "He suffered from fatigue and emotional tension"

• "Stress is a vasoconstrictor"

2. The physical condition of being stretched or strained

• "It places great tension on the leg muscles"

• "He could feel the tenseness of her body"

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

• "There is a tension created between narrative time and movie time"

• "There is a tension between these approaches to understanding history"

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

• "The direction of maximum tension moves asymptotically toward the direction of the shear"

5. Feelings of hostility that are not manifest

• "He could sense her latent hostility to him"

• "The diplomats' first concern was to reduce international tensions"

6. The action of stretching something tight

• "Tension holds the belt in the pulleys"