Strained
/stɹeɪ̯nd/ adj, verb
adj, verb ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
Verb
- 1 simple past and past participle of strain form-of, participle, past
Adjective
- 1 Forced through a strainer.
"Babies don’t seem to like strained peas, even though the puree is easy for them to eat and digest."
- 2 Under tension; tense.
"Ever since the fight our relation has been strained."
- 3 Not natural or spontaneous but done with effort
"A strained smile."
Adjective
- 1 struggling for effect wordnet
- 2 lacking spontaneity; not natural wordnet
- 3 lacking natural ease wordnet
- 4 showing signs of mental and emotional tension wordnet
Example
More examples"I strained to hear what the President said."