strained

[ streynd ]

/ streɪnd /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR strained ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

affected or produced by effort; not natural or spontaneous; forced: strained hospitality.

Origin of strained

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at strain¹, -ed²

OTHER WORDS FROM strained

strained·ly

[streynd-lee, strey-nid-] /ˈstreɪnd li, ˈstreɪ nɪd-/, adverb strained·ness, noun well-strained, adjective

Words nearby strained

straightneck, straightway, strain, strain fracture, strain gauge, strained, strainer, straining arch, straining piece, straining sill, strait

Definition for strained (2 of 2)

strain ¹

[ streyn ]

/ streɪn /

verb (used with object)

to draw tight or taut, especially to the utmost tension; stretch to the full: to strain a rope.

to exert to the utmost: to strain one's ears to catch a sound.

to impair, injure, or weaken (a muscle, tendon, etc.) by stretching or overexertion.

to cause mechanical deformation in (a body or structure) as the result of stress.

to stretch beyond the proper point or limit: to strain the meaning of a word.

to make excessive demands upon: to strain one's luck; to strain one's resources.

to pour (liquid containing solid matter) through a filter, sieve, or the like in order to hold back the denser solid constituents: to strain gravy.

to draw off (clear or pure liquid) by means of a filter or sieve: to strain the water from spinach; to strain broth.

to hold back (solid particles) from liquid matter by means of a filter or sieve: to strain seeds from orange juice; to strain rice.

to clasp tightly in the arms, the hand, etc.: The mother strained her child close to her breast.

Obsolete. to constrain, as to a course of action.

verb (used without object)

to pull forcibly: a dog straining at a leash.

to stretch one's muscles, nerves, etc., to the utmost.

to make violent physical efforts; strive hard.

to resist forcefully; balk: to strain at accepting an unpleasant fact.

to be subjected to tension or stress; suffer strain.

to filter, percolate, or ooze.

to trickle or flow: Sap strained from the bark.

noun

any force or pressure tending to alter shape, cause a fracture, etc.

strong muscular or physical effort.

great or excessive effort or striving after some goal, object, or effect.

an injury to a muscle, tendon, etc., due to excessive tension or use; sprain.

Mechanics, Physics. deformation of a body or structure as a result of an applied force.

condition of being strained or stretched.

a task, goal, or effect accomplished only with great effort: Housecleaning is a real strain.

severe, trying, or fatiguing pressure or exertion; taxing onus: the strain of hard work.

a severe demand on or test of resources, feelings, a person, etc.: a strain on one's hospitality.

a flow or burst of language, eloquence, etc.: the lofty strain of Cicero.

Often strains. a passage of melody, music, or songs as rendered or heard: the strains of the nightingale.

Music. a section of a piece of music, more or less complete in itself.

a passage or piece of poetry.

the tone, style, or spirit of an utterance, writing, etc.: a humorous strain.

a particular degree, height, or pitch attained: a strain of courageous enthusiasm.

Origin of strain

1250–1300; Middle English streinen (v.) < Old French estrein-, stem of estreindre to press tightly, grip < Latin stringere to bind, tie, draw tight. See stringent

SYNONYMS FOR strain

1 tighten.

3 Strain, sprain imply a wrenching, twisting, and stretching of muscles and tendons. To strain is to stretch tightly, make taut, wrench, tear, cause injury to, by long-continued or sudden and too violent effort or movement: to strain one's heart by overexertion, one's eyes by reading small print. To sprain is to strain excessively (but without dislocation) by a sudden twist or wrench, the tendons and muscles connected with a joint, especially those of the ankle or wrist: to sprain an ankle.

7 filter, sieve.

10 hug, embrace, press.

17 seep.

20 exertion.

22 wrench.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR strain ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM strain

strain·ing·ly, adverb strain·less, adjective strain·less·ly, adverb

Example sentences from the Web for strained

His breath became so strained that he was forced to quit his job as a horticulturalist for the parks department.

Before Eric Garner, There Was Michael Stewart: The Tragic Story of the Real-Life Radio Raheem |Marlow Stern |December 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The alliance between America and rebel forces has been strained by the U.S. refusal to directly attack the Assad regime.

Al Qaeda Makes a Play for the U.S. Allies the War Against ISIS Depends On |Jacob Siegel |September 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Relationships in her "blood family," a distinction her brother pointedly made at her funeral, were often strained and fractious.

The Day the Fairytale Died |Marilyn Johnson |July 12, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The weakness of any case becomes clear when the logic used to make the arguments is strained, selective and irrelevant.

The Crazy Way Creationists Try To Explain Human Tails Without Evolution |Karl W. Giberson |June 1, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Mayor Doyle and Premier Napthine are known to have a strained political relationship.

Australian State Bans Right To Protest |Kirsten Alexander |March 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The American boys were tense and strained, knowing that in a few hours they would be facing death.

People of Destiny |Philip Gibbs
At the end of six months she strained the scales at two hundred and twenty.

Anderson Crow, Detective |George Barr McCutcheon
The term ὄργανα, properly signifying instruments, appears here by a strained metaphor.

Aristotle |George Grote
A man going into battle might look, so she thought, as Roger Ormiston looked now—very stern and strained.

The History of Sir Richard Calmady |Lucas Malet
He was somehow sensible of its convolutions as he stood against the wall and strained his eyes into the dusk.

The Phantoms Of The Foot-Bridge |Charles Egbert Craddock (AKA Mary Noailles Murfree)

British Dictionary definitions for strained (1 of 3)

strained

/ (streɪnd) /

adjective

(of an action, performance, etc) not natural or spontaneous

(of an atmosphere, relationship, etc) not relaxed; tense

British Dictionary definitions for strained (2 of 3)

strain ¹

/ (streɪn) /

verb

to draw or be drawn taut; stretch tight

to exert, tax, or use (resources) to the utmost extent

to injure or damage or be injured or damaged by overexertion he strained himself

to deform or be deformed as a result of a stress

(intr) to make intense or violent efforts; strive

to subject or be subjected to mental tension or stress

to pour or pass (a substance) or (of a substance) to be poured or passed through a sieve, filter, or strainer

(tr) to draw off or remove (one part of a substance or mixture from another) by or as if by filtering

(tr) to clasp tightly; hug

(tr) obsolete to force or constrain

(intr foll by at)

to push, pull, or work with violent exertion (upon)
to strive (for)
to balk or scruple (from)

noun

the act or an instance of straining

the damage resulting from excessive exertion

an intense physical or mental effort

music (often plural) a theme, melody, or tune

a great demand on the emotions, resources, etc

a feeling of tension and tiredness resulting from overwork, worry, etc; stress

a particular style or recurring theme in speech or writing

physics the change in dimension of a body under load expressed as the ratio of the total deflection or change in dimension to the original unloaded dimension. It may be a ratio of lengths, areas, or volumes

Word Origin for strain

C13: from Old French estreindre to press together, from Latin stringere to bind tightly

British Dictionary definitions for strained (3 of 3)

strain ²

/ (streɪn) /

noun

the main body of descendants from one ancestor

a group of organisms within a species or variety, distinguished by one or more minor characteristics

a variety of bacterium or fungus, esp one used for a culture

a streak; trace

archaic a kind, type, or sort

Word Origin for strain

Old English strēon; related to Old High German gistriuni gain, Latin struere to construct

Scientific definitions for strained

strain

[ strān ]

A group of organisms of the same species, sharing certain hereditary characteristics not typical of the entire species but minor enough not to warrant classification as a separate breed or variety. Resistance to specific antibiotics is a feature of certain strains of bacteria.

The extent to which a body is distorted when it is subjected to a deforming force, as when under stress. The distortion can involve a change both in shape and in size. All measures of strain are dimensionless (they have no unit of measure).♦ Axial strain is equal to the ratio between the change in length of an object and its original length.♦ Volume strain is equal to the ratio between the change in volume of an object and its original volume. It is also called bulk strain.♦ Shear strain is equal to the ratio between the amount by which an object is skewed and its length. Compare stress. See more at Hooke's law.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

strained

adjective

Origin of strained

OTHER WORDS FROM strained

Words nearby strained

Definition for strained (2 of 2)

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Origin of strain

SYNONYMS FOR strain

OTHER WORDS FROM strain

Example sentences from the Web for strained

British Dictionary definitions for strained (1 of 3)

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for strained (2 of 3)

verb

noun

Word Origin for strain

British Dictionary definitions for strained (3 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for strain

Scientific definitions for strained

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

strained

adjective

Origin of strained

OTHER WORDS FROM strained

Words nearby strained

Definition for strained (2 of 2)

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Origin of strain

SYNONYMS FOR strain

OTHER WORDS FROM strain

Words related to strained

Example sentences from the Web for strained

British Dictionary definitions for strained (1 of 3)

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for strained (2 of 3)

verb

noun

Word Origin for strain

British Dictionary definitions for strained (3 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for strain

Scientific definitions for strained