Stretched tight or rigid; taut, often as a result of physical strain. The rope was tense after being pulled taut between the poles.
Characterized by a feeling of nervousness or unease. She felt tense before her big presentation at the conference.
Causing or involving a state of mental or emotional strain. The tense negotiations lasted for hours without a resolution.
Relating to, or denoting a grammatical tense. The past-tense form of the verb is irregular.