- tension
- noun1 inability to relaxADJECTIVE▪ inner▪ emotional, nervous, sexual▪
He suffers from nervous tension.
▪ muscle, muscular▪ premenstrualVERB + TENSION▪ feel, suffer from▪I feel some tension in my shoulders.
▪ sense▪As soon as he entered, he sensed a tension in the air.
▪ cause, create▪ relieve▪ releaseTENSION + NOUN▪ headachePREPOSITION▪ tension in▪The hot bath eased the tension in his body.
PHRASES▪ a release of tension▪Laughter can be a great release of tension.
▪ a sign of tension▪Horses are very sensitive to signs of tension in humans.
2 bad feeling between people, countries, etc.ADJECTIVE▪ considerable, great, high▪More police have been sent to areas of high political tension.
▪ palpable, real▪ slight▪ escalating, growing, heightened, increased, increasing, mounting, rising▪ constant, continuous▪ continuing, ongoing▪ unresolved▪ renewed▪ fundamental, inherent, underlying▪ ethnic, political, racial, religious, social▪ communal, family, internal, international, national, regional▪ creative, dynamic▪the creative tension between democracy and business interests
VERB + TENSION▪ cause, create, generate▪ defuse, ease, reduce, release, resolve▪She often used humour/humor to defuse tension in meetings.
▪ exacerbate, heightenTENSION + VERB▪ build up, grow, increase, mount, rise▪ ease▪ arise▪In the early 1960's, new tensions arose between the United States and the USSR.
▪ exist▪ run high▪Racial tensions in the town were running high.
PREPOSITION▪ tension among▪The tension among the audience was palpable.
▪ tension between▪tension between local youths and the police
▪ tension in, tension within▪The job losses caused greater tensions within the company.
▪ tension over▪There has been increased tension over the border incident.
▪ tension with▪renewed tension with France
PHRASES▪ a source of tension▪Money was always a source of tension between her parents.
3 of rope, wire, etc.ADJECTIVE▪ stringVERB + TENSION▪ adjust▪This old racket needs its string tension adjusted.
▪ releasePREPOSITION▪ in tension▪The metal is weak in tension.
▪ under tension▪Stay clear of cables which are under tension.
▪ tension on▪The sudden tension on the line told me I had hooked a fish.
4 feeling of excitement in a film/movie, etc.ADJECTIVE▪ dramatic▪The movie lacks dramatic tension.
VERB + TENSION▪ build, heighten, increase▪the use of editing to heighten the tension
▪ keep, keep up, maintain▪ breakTENSION + VERB▪ build, grow, mount▪Tension builds around the mystery of what will happen to Freddie.
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
