Tense Meaning
/tɛns/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe property of indicating the point in time at which an action or state of being occurs or exists.
nounAn inflected form of a verb that indicates tense.
Sentence Examples
What Jane said made the atmosphere less tense.
I feel tense and agitated when I have too much work to do.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The atmosphere in the room was ____ before the final exam, with everyone feeling nervous.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The atmosphere in the room was very ____ as everyone waited for the judge to deliver the final and important verdict today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English tens, from Old French tens (modern French temps), from Latin tempus. Doublet of tempo and tempus.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"In ſo moche that if any verbe be of the thyꝛde coniugation
I ſet out all his rotes and tenſes[…]"
— 1530 July 18, Iohan Palſgrave, “The Introduction”, in Leſclarciſſement de la langue francoyſe […] , London: Richard Pynſon, Iohan Haukyns, →OCLC, page 32; reprinted as Lesclarcissement de la langue françoyse, Genève: Slatkine Reprints, 1972:
""Attention," the tense man called out in Greek. "This is Lieutenant Kazamakis of the Cypriot Provisional Guard. You will immediately surrender all weapons and slowly come down the stairs, hands above your head." No answer."
— 2009 October 21, Richard Steinberg, The 4 Phase Man: A Novel, Bantam, →ISBN:
""There's no one in the house," Sahas cut him off quickly. "Actually[,] I have sent them away. I thought that only the two of us should share the special surprise." He gave a tense smile."
— 2018 February 10, Ratna Chandu,, For a Girl in a Star, Sristhi Publishers & Distributors, →ISBN:
"Chi stops, but her eyes continue to pierce right through me and into Karima. A tense moment later, she drops her eyes back to the terminal and scans the data once more. The showdown is over, at least for the moment."
— 2022 June 16, Marc B. DeGeorge, A Call to the Sky, MuseMarc Studio LLC, →ISBN:
"The driver and the man shouted angrily at each other and I tensed, ready for violence. But soon everyone in the tap-tap joined in, capping remarks, joking, telling chicken and goat stories."
— 1983 December 24, Andrea Loewenstein, “"What's Freedom Without Food In Your Stomach?" — A Trip to Haiti”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 23, page 8:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The atmosphere in the room was ____ before the final exam, with everyone feeling nervous.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The atmosphere in the room was very ____ as everyone waited for the judge to deliver the final and important verdict today.