1 (nervous) [+person, expression] tenso He's much too tense Didn't it strike you that he was awfully uptight and tense?
her voice was tense se le notaba la tensión en la voz
He dropped gracelessly into a chair opposite her, his [expression] tense and angry Their voices were subdued and their faces tense
to feel tense sentirse tenso
...a method you can use to relax yourself when you are feeling tense Ryle felt tired and tense
to get or grow tense ponerse tenso
They began to grow tense over the likelihood of a long delay Speaking in public always makes him tense
2 (stiff) [+body, muscles, neck] tenso; en tensión She lay, eyes shut, [body] tense. Then his tense [body] relaxed into a posture of resignation Your [neck] is tense a bath can relax tense [muscles] ...effective self-help techniques for relaxing tense [muscles] and easing pain
my shoulders are tense tengo los hombros tensos or en tensión
3 (strained) [+atmosphere, silence] tenso; [+relations] tenso; tirante The [situation] in Baghdad remains tense. This gesture of goodwill did little to improve the tense [atmosphere] at the talks sounds like things are pretty tense over there ...a day of tense [negotiations] between the International Red Cross and the Yugoslav federal army ...India's most immediate neighbours, with whom [relations] have been tense in recent years there was a tense [silence]. At length Jarvis sighed
[+period, moment] de tensión There were a few tense moments before the presentation ...the tense period of transition to an elected government After three very tense weeks he phoned again.
the tense situation in the Persian Gulf la situación de tensión en el golfo Pérsico
this is a [time] of tense relations between the two countries
