Tension Means Stretching
Tension is a stretched state, or strain between people. Physics, sewing and drama all use it, and all mean the same thing.
Tension is the state of being stretched, and the strain that results. The Latin *tendere*, to stretch, holds every sense together: tension in a cable, tension between countries, tension in a sewing machine, and dramatic tension — the feeling of a story pulled taut and not yet released.
- A stretched state. *Cable tension.*
- Strain between people. *Rising tension.*
- Suspense. *The tension of the final act.*
- Muscle tightness. *Tension in the shoulders.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | tension | High tension. |
| Plural | tensions | Growing tensions. |
| Adjective | tense | A tense meeting. |
| Verb | tense | He tensed up. |
| Related | tendon | A torn tendon. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Adjust the tension on the thread.Sewing.
- Tensions rose after the announcement.Plural for political strain.
- Surface tension holds the drop together.Physics.
The stretching family
- Tension — the state of being stretched
- Tendon — the cord stretching muscle to bone
- Extend — stretch out
- Intense — stretched tight, hence strong
- Tent — a stretched covering
From Latin *tensionem*, a stretching, from *tendere*, to stretch — the same verb as in *attend*, *pretend* and *intend*.
What is surface tension?
The force at a liquid's surface caused by molecules attracting each other, which makes the surface behave like a stretched skin.
Tension or stress?
In engineering, tension is a pulling force and compression its opposite. Stress is force per unit area, whatever its direction.