Very (physically) taut or tightened
“They hung together on the strained rope, swinging crazily in the blackness of the storm-darkened night.”
Produced by deliberate effort rather than spontaneously
“Sheldon just looked at him and smiled a small strained smile.”
Awkward, not relaxed or comfortable
“The strained silence between them was making her self-conscious.”
Showing signs of tiredness or fatigue
“Moorhouse portrays himself as weary and strained, then finally exhausted by the journey.”
Showing signs of anxiety or nervous tension
“He is busy sending out calls, pausing every now and then with a strained expression as if he were vainly trying to catch some answer to his messages.”
Showy in speech and given to using flowery or elaborate terms
Consumed by stress, typically from work, demands or pressure
Done with difficulty, or requiring great effort
Having (been) worked to the point of fatigue, exhaustion, or great stress
Characterized by, or tending to cause, agitation or anxiety
Dubious, fanciful, and not likely to be true
Pure and free from impurities
Injured, often by twisting, straining, or turning a joint, causing pain and limited mobility
Strictly conventional in one's manner or behavior
Being burdened with a demand, obligation, responsibility, or physical weight
(of a quality or result) Achieved or maintained by careful and deliberate effort
(of a person) Wretchedly unhappy or uncomfortable
Characterized by extreme force, degree, or strength
Characterized by causing hardships or problems
Past tense for to (excessively) exert for a particular task, purpose or goal
“Even so, if either Calais or Boulogne were in danger, the Queen would strain herself to send them such help as the times would permit.”
Past tense for to make an unusually great effort
“She was, unfortunately, nearsighted and had to strain to see the blackboard.”
Past tense for to make excessive demands on
“It became evident at an early stage that the stricter car emission requirements would strain the availability of rhodium.”
Past tense for to pull or elongate a stretchable object
“It feels like two and a half hours spent watching someone see how far they can strain an elastic band without breaking it.”
Past tense for to pass (something) through a sieve or filter
“Strain the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve and discard the solids.”
Past tense for to ooze, or pass slowly through pores or other small openings
“The karstic area also enables water to strain through the cracks of the rocks.”
Past tense for to injure (a limb, muscle, or organ) by overexerting it
“But alas, in practice they are usually so huge that you inevitably strain a minor muscle or two moving your arm to look at the data.”
Past tense for to pull or push forcibly at something
“Stryker continued to strain at the chain, growling and barking in a rage.”
Past tense for to clasp (someone or each other) in the arms
“She opened her arms as if to seize him and strain him to her breast with wild angry passion.”
Past tense for to cause mental distress to
“My heart was beating fast, and the anxiety would strain me for the rest of the day.”
Past tense for to move past someone or something with force
Past tense for to give a false or misleading account of the nature of
Past tense for to overexert oneself
Past tense for to cause concern or anxiety
Past tense for to use, empty or drain completely
Past tense for to emotionally tax or strain
Past tense for to stretch out an arm in a specified direction in order to touch or grasp something
Past tense for to put down or control by cruelty or force
Past tense for to work (oneself) overly hard
Past tense for to greatly emphasize a point or issue
Past tense for to exert for the sake of training, especially in fields requiring toughness or discipline
Past tense for to grab or squeeze with a twisting motion
Past tense for to exceed or cross a given limit
Past tense for to struggle for breath
Related Words and Phrases
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