strained

adjective
UK: /streɪnd/
US: /streɪnd/

  1. Showing signs of worry or tension; not relaxed.

    1. She looked strained after the long meeting, but tried to smile.
    2. The diplomatic relations between the two countries became strained after the incident.

  2. Produced or performed with excessive effort or force.

    1. His voice sounded strained as he announced the bad news to everyone.
    2. The actor gave a strained performance trying too hard to convey emotion.

  3. Not spontaneous or natural; forced.

    1. Their conversation felt strained, as they had little in common.
    2. There was a strained atmosphere at the party after their argument earlier.

Synonyms

tense anxious forced artificial stressed filtered
strained verb

  1. Past tense and past participle of strain: to injure (a muscle, tendon, or ligament) by overexerting it.

    1. I strained my back lifting heavy boxes yesterday afternoon moving things.
    2. He strained a hamstring during practice forcing him to miss the game.

  2. Past tense and past participle of strain: to make excessive demands on.

    1. The constant travel has strained my resources so I will start working from home.
    2. The budget cuts strained the school's ability to provide adequate services.

  3. Past tense and past participle of strain: to filter or remove unwanted particles from a liquid.

    1. She strained the pasta water to remove the noodles after cooking for ten minutes.
    2. He strained the sauce through a sieve to remove any lumps or seeds.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "strained" in English means: Showing signs of worry or tension; not relaxed., Produced or performed with excessive effort or force., Not spontaneous or natural; forced..

The phonetic transcription of "strained" is /streɪnd/ in British English and /streɪnd/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "strained": tense, anxious, forced, artificial, stressed, filtered.

Example usage of "strained": "She looked strained after the long meeting, but tried to smile.". More examples on the page.