tense (Adjective) — In or of a state of physical or nervous tension.
tense (Adjective) — (phonetics) pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in 'beat').
tense (Adjective) — Taut or rigid; stretched tight. ex. "tense piano strings"
tense (Noun) — A grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time.
tense (Verb) — Become stretched, tense or taut. ex. "the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed"
tense (Verb) — Increase the tension on. ex. "alternately relax and tense your calf muscle" ex. "tense the rope manually before tensing the spring"
tense (Verb) — Become tense, nervous, or uneasy. ex. "He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room"
tense (Verb) — Cause to be tense and uneasy, nervous or anxious. ex. "he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up"