Definition of 'strain'
Noun
- (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
- difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension; "she endured the stresses and strains of life"; "he presided over the economy during the period of the greatest stress and danger"- R.J.Samuelson
Synonyms: stress - a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; "she was humming an air from Beethoven"
Synonyms: tune melody air melodic line line melodic phrase - (psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress; "his responsibilities were a constant strain"; "the mental strain of staying alert hour after hour was too much for him"
Synonyms: mental strain nervous strain - a special variety of domesticated animals within a species; "he experimented on a particular breed of white rats"; "he created a new strain of sheep"
Synonyms: breed stock - (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups; "a new strain of microorganisms"
Synonyms: form variant var. - a lineage or race of people
Synonyms: breed - injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in swelling and pain
- the general meaning or substance of an utterance; "although I disagreed with him I could follow the tenor of his argument"
Synonyms: tenor - an effortful attempt to attain a goal
Synonyms: striving nisus pains - an intense or violent exertion
Synonyms: straining - the act of singing; "with a shout and a song they marched up to the gates"
Synonyms: song
Verb
- to exert much effort or energy; "straining our ears to hear"
Synonyms: strive reach - test the limits of; "You are trying my patience!"
Synonyms: try stress - use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity; "He really extended himself when he climbed Kilimanjaro"; "Don't strain your mind too much"
Synonyms: extend - separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements; "sift the flour"
Synonyms: sift sieve - cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious; "he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up"
Synonyms: tense tense up
Antonyms: relax unstrain unlax loosen up unwind make relaxed relax unstrain unlax loosen up unwind make relaxed - become stretched or tense or taught; "the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed;" "the rope strained when the weight was attached"
Synonyms: tense - remove by passing through a filter; "filter out the impurities"
Synonyms: filter filtrate separate out filter out - rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender; "puree the vegetables for the baby"
Synonyms: puree - alter the shape of (something) by stress; "His body was deformed by leprosy"
Synonyms: deform distort
