1 (tense) [+person] tenso; [+face] crispado; [+voice, laugh, jollity, politeness] forzado; [+atmosphere, relations, silence] tirante; tenso she looked pale and strained He was standing over her, too close, uncomfortable and strained
she gave a strained laugh forzó una risa; se rió con una risa forzada
The atmosphere between us became tense and strained relations between the two families had become increasingly strained However strained your relationship with your ex-partner was before you split up, you'll both need to build up a new understanding ...his difficult and strained relationship with the Communist Party her relationship with Eric had become strained and distant
2 [+wrist, ankle] torcido; [+eyes] cansado; [+voice] cansado a strained muscle un esguince; he has a strained shoulder/back tiene una lesión en un hombro/en la espalda
3 (overtaxed) [+economy] debilitado The political crisis is having a knock-on effect on the already strained economy
4 (Cookery) [+baby food] pasado por el pasapurés or el tamiz; [+soup, gravy] colado; [+yoghurt] espeso ...strained lemon juice Put the strained liquid into a food processor with the other ingredients strained yogurt has been drained through muslin for several hours, until it's thick and creamy