1.a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
2.in or of a state of physical or nervous tension
3.pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat')
4.taut or rigid; stretched tight;
tense piano strings
1.stretch or force to the limit;
strain the rope
2.increase the tension on;
tense a rope
3.become tense or tenser;
He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room
4.make tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious;