ten·sion /ˈtenʃən/ ●●○ W3 AWL noun 1 nervous feeling 紧张的感觉 [uncountableU]NERVOUSWORRIED a nervous worried feeling that makes it impossible for you to relax 紧张;焦虑;焦急 → tense The tension was becoming unbearable, and I wanted to scream. 这种紧张变得难以忍受,我真想大声尖叫。
reduce/relieve/ease etc tension Exercise is the ideal way to relieve tension after a hard day. 运动锻炼是劳累一天后最理想的减压方法。
2 no trust 不信任 [countableC usually plural, uncountableU]TRUST the feeling that exists when people or countries do not trust each other and may suddenly attack each other or start arguing 〔人与人或国与国之间的〕紧张关系,紧张局势political/racial/social etc tension In those days, there was a great deal of racial tension on campus. 那时候校园里种族关系十分紧张。
tension between The obvious tension between Warren and Anne made everyone else uncomfortable. 沃伦和安妮之间明显的紧张关系让每个人都不舒服。
3 different influences 不同的影响力 [countableC, uncountableU]DIFFERENT if there is tension between two things, there is a difference between the needs or influences of each, and that causes problems 〔需求或影响力间的〕冲突,紧张状况tension between In business, there’s always a tension between the needs of customers and shareholders. 在商业活动中,客户的需求和股东的需求之间始终存在着矛盾。
4 tightness 绷紧 [uncountableU]TIGHT tightness or stiffness in a wire, rope, muscle etc 〔电线、绳子、肌肉等的〕拉紧,绷紧 Tension in the neck muscles can cause headaches. 颈部肌肉紧张会导致头痛。
Muscle tension can be a sign of stress. 肌肉紧张可能是压力大的迹象。
5 force 力量 [uncountableU]HP the amount of force that stretches something 张力,拉力 This wire will take 50 pounds tension. 这种金属线能承受50磅的张力。
tension on There was a lot of tension on the wire before it snapped. 金属丝承受着很大的拉力,最后绷断了。
n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: a nervous worried feeling that makes it impossible for you to relaxadjectivesunbearableThe tension was almost unbearable by the time we reached the decisive last round.
nervous tensionThe night before the wedding my mother was in a state of nervous tension.
high tensionThere was a moment of high tension as the firemen entered the burning building.
dramatic tension (=the tension you feel when you are not sure quite what will happen in a story)This uncertainty adds to the film’s dramatic tension.
verbsreduce/ease/relieve tensionBreathing deeply helps to clear my mind and reduce tension.
sense the tensionShe could sense the tension in the room.
phrasesa state of tensionMarjorie lived in a constant state of tension waiting for his phone calls.
an atmosphere of tensionVoting took place in an atmosphere of tension.
n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: the feeling that exists when people or countries do not trust each other and may suddenly attack each other or start arguingadjectivesracial tensionRacial tension boiled over and riots quickly spread.
social tensionThe economic crisis was accompanied by mounting social tension.
political tensionThe heightened political tension could easily spill over into violence.
tension is/remains highAfter the election, political tension remains high.
increasing/growing/mounting/rising tensionThere are reports of increasing tension in some areas.
heightened tension (=greater than before)a time of heightened tension between the two countries
verbsdefuse tension (=make a situation more friendly)He searched for ways of defusing racial tension.
raise/increase the tensionThe arrests only served to raise the tension.
phrasesa source of tensionThis agreement should remove a major source of tension among America’s allies.
tension on• There is a lot of tension on the wire.