tense

a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time

become stretched or tense or taut; "the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed;" "the rope strained when the weight was attached"

increase the tension on; "alternately relax and tense your calf muscle"; "tense the rope manually before tensing the spring"

become tense, nervous, or uneasy; "He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room"

cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious; "he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up"

in or of a state of physical or nervous tension

pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat')

taut or rigid; stretched tight; "tense piano strings"