strain
Other forms: strained; strains; straining
The noun strain is a stretch, effort, or exertion. You can strain your ankle, or your little brother can strain your patience.
This word has many, many meanings. Athletes strain their knees, which strains the emotions of their fans. Usually, you have to strain a little to accomplish anything, like getting an A in math. A strain may also be a line, like a line of ancestry, of thought, or a melodic line in music. Maybe you have to strain to hear the quiet flute in an orchestra. Another meaning is to pass something through a filter, like tea leaves.
Definitions of strain
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exert much effort or energy“straining our ears to hear”
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types:
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extend oneself
strain to the utmost
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kill oneself, overexert oneself
strain oneself more than is healthy
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bother, inconvenience oneself, trouble, trouble oneself
take the trouble to do something; concern oneself
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extend oneself
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use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity“Don't strain your mind too much”
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synonyms:
extend
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types:
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overextend, overstrain
strain excessively
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task, tax
use to the limit
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overextend, overstrain
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test the limits of
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injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in swelling and pain
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an effortful attempt to attain a goal
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an intense or violent exertion
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become stretched or tense or taut
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alter the shape of (something) by stress
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cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious
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types:
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extend, stretch
extend one's limbs or muscles, or the entire body
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spread-eagle
stretch out completely
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crane, stretch out
stretch (the neck) so as to see better
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type of:
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affect
act physically on; have an effect upon
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extend, stretch
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(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
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types:
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overstrain
too much strain
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type of:
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deformation
alteration in the shape or dimensions of an object as a result of the application of stress to it
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overstrain
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(psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress“his responsibilities were a constant strain”
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synonyms:
mental strain, nervous strain
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types:
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stress, tenseness, tension
(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
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yips
nervous tension that causes an athlete to fail (especially causes golfers to miss short putts)
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breaking point
(psychology) stress at which a person breaks down or a situation becomes crucial
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type of:
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nerves, nervousness
an uneasy psychological state
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stress, tenseness, tension
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difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension“she endured the stresses and strains of life”
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synonyms:
stress
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type of:
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difficulty
a condition or state of affairs almost beyond one's ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome
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difficulty
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separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements
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types:
- show 4 types...
- hide 4 types...
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rice
sieve so that it becomes the consistency of rice
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resift
sift anew
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riddle, screen
separate with a riddle, as grain from chaff
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fan, winnow
separate the chaff from by using air currents
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type of:
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separate
divide into components or constituents
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remove by passing through a filter
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synonyms:
filter, filter out, filtrate, separate out
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type of:
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separate
divide into components or constituents
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separate
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rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender
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a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
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synonyms:
air, line, melodic line, melodic phrase, melody, tune
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types:
- show 17 types...
- hide 17 types...
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fanfare, flourish, tucket
(music) a short lively tune played on brass instruments
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glissando
a rapid series of ascending or descending notes on the musical scale
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roulade
(music) an elaborate run of several notes sung to one syllable
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leitmotif, leitmotiv
a melodic phrase that accompanies the reappearance of a person or situation (as in Wagner's operas)
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theme song
a melody that recurs and comes to represent a musical play or movie
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signature, signature tune, theme song
a melody used to identify a performer or a dance band or radio/tv program
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idea, melodic theme, musical theme, theme
(music) melodic subject of a musical composition
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part, voice
the melody carried by a particular voice or instrument in polyphonic music
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slide, swoop
(music) rapid sliding up or down the musical scale
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motif, motive
a theme that is repeated or elaborated in a piece of music
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statement
(music) the presentation of a musical theme
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variation
a repetition of a musical theme in which it is modified or embellished
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primo
the principal part of a duet (especially a piano duet)
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secondo
the second or lower part of a duet (especially a piano duet)
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voice part
a part written for a singer
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accompaniment, backup, musical accompaniment, support
a musical part (vocal or instrumental) that supports or provides background for other musical parts
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bass, bass part
the lowest part in polyphonic music
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type of:
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music
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
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the act of singing
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synonyms:
song
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types:
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carol
a joyful song
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cradlesong, lullaby
the act of singing a quiet song to lull a child to sleep
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type of:
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vocal music
music that is vocalized (as contrasted with instrumental music)
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carol
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(biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups“a new strain of microorganisms”
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type of:
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taxon, taxonomic category, taxonomic group
animal or plant group having natural relations
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taxon, taxonomic category, taxonomic group
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a special variety of domesticated animals within a species“he created a new strain of sheep”
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types:
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bloodstock
thoroughbred horses (collectively)
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pedigree
line of descent of a purebred animal
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type of:
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animal group
a group of animals
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variety
(biology) a taxonomic category consisting of members of a species that differ from others of the same species in minor but heritable characteristics
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bloodstock
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the general meaning or substance of an utterance
Pronunciation
US
/streɪn/
UK
/streɪn/
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Word Family
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