Produced by deliberate effort rather than spontaneously
“Sheldon just looked at him and smiled a small strained smile.”
Not relaxed or comfortable
“The strained silence between them was making her self-conscious.”
Showing signs of nervous tension or tiredness
“Of course, her strained silence, paled skin, shaking hands and lowered eyes did not betray her feelings.”
Causing or characterized by anxiety and nervousness
Feeling or looking strained as a result of having too many demands made on one
At an angle
Showy in speech and given to using flowery or elaborate terms
Not likely to happen, be done, or be true
With impurities or unwanted elements having been removed by processing
(of a quality or result) Achieved or maintained by careful and deliberate effort
Potentially violent or dangerous, especially of a situation
Requiring or showing 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 oneself 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 draw or make tight or taut
Past tense for to overexert oneself
Past tense for to use, empty or drain completely
Past tense for give a false or misleading account of the nature of
Past tense for to move something by exerting force
Past tense for to stretch out an arm in a specified direction in order to touch or grasp something
Past tense for to hear with attention, obedience, or compliance
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 put down or control by cruelty or force
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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