Verb

• S: (v) tense, tense up (become tense, nervous, or uneasy) "He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room"
• direct hypernym / inherited hypernym / sister term
• antonym
• derivationally related form
• W: (n) tension [Related to: tense] (the physical condition of being stretched or strained) "it places great tension on the leg muscles"; "he could feel the tenseness of her body"
• W: (n) tensor [Related to: tense] (any of several muscles that cause an attached structure to become tense or firm)
• sentence frame
• S: (v) tense, strain, tense up (cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious) "he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up"