1.feelings of hostility that are not manifest;
he could sense her latent hostility to him
2.(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense;
he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension
3.the physical condition of being stretched or strained;
it places great tension on the leg muscles
4.a balance between and interplay of opposing elements or tendencies (especially in art or literature);
there is a tension created between narrative time and movie time
5.(physics) a stress that produces an elongation of an elastic physical body;
the direction of maximum tension moves asymptotically toward the direction of the shear
6.the action of stretching something tight;
tension holds the belt in the pulleys