strain

Examples

• All

• All of them can put great strain and stress on your brain.

• It's putting more strain on my left knee.

• Some people are all, "What about the strain on our resources?"

  Clueless (1995)

• Those pounds put a massive strain on her heart.

  Criminally Insane (1975)

• I know it's put enormous strain on all concerned.

  Find Me Guilty (2006)

• Such needs, even when minimal, place strain on the resources available in many school systems.

  Academic text (1991)

• This puts a ton of strain on the entire team.

• She's been under a lot of strain.

  Godmonster of Indian Flats (1973)

• Increasing biomass energy crops would push this even higher, putting more strain on an already limited resource.

• The constant demands of her job were putting a lot of strain on her mental health.

Synonyms

P

pressure

vsstrain

∞ 3.1

A strong feeling of stress from difficult demands

is the personal effort or internal stress rather than the external situation

L

load

vsstrain

91 4.1

A heavy burden of worry or responsibility

refers to the intense effort or stress felt, not the causing responsibility

E

exertion

vsstrain

23 5.0

Strong physical or mental effort that makes you tired

is similar but also includes the sense of causing stress

S

striving

vsstrain

7 3.5

A strong effort to reach a goal

is more neutral, covering effort itself and the stress it creates

S

straining

vsstrain

3 4.2

A strong physical effort to use force or lift something

is broader, covering both forceful effort and resulting stress

O

overexertion

vsstrain

1 6.5

Doing too much physical or mental work that causes harm

covers intense effort more generally, without implying harmful excess

S

strenuousness

vsstrain

1 7.5

A state of needing a lot of physical or mental effort

is the specific experience of effort or stress rather than the quality alone

M

mental strain

vsstrain

1 5.1

A feeling of worry and tiredness after thinking for a long time

also covers effort itself, not only the mental tension outcome

N

nervous strain

vsstrain

1 5.8

A feeling of being very nervous and tired after a long time of stress

includes that tension but also denotes forceful effort as well

N

nisus

vsstrain

• Archaic

9.9

A strong ongoing effort to reach a goal

is similar but can mean short intense effort or the stress from effort

Antonyms

E

ease

304 1.0

A state of comfort and freedom from worry

R

relaxation

54 1.6

A calm, stress-free state when you rest or enjoy free time

Idioms

S

to strain every nerve

• Informal

1 7.2

Try as hard as possible to do something

S

to strain at a gnat

• Informal

9.9

To focus too much on small details and ignore bigger problems

S

to strain at the leash

• Informal

7.1

To want to start doing something very eagerly while being held back

Compounds

V

virulent strain

• Specialized

2 6.5

A very strong germ that spreads easily and makes people very sick

E

eye strain

1 3.2

Eyes that feel tired or sore after looking at screens for too long

M

mental strain

1 5.1

A feeling of worry and tiredness after thinking for a long time

N

nervous strain

1 5.8

A feeling of being very nervous and tired after a long time of stress

S

strain gage

• Specialized

6.1

A tool that measures how much a material changes shape when pushed or pulled

S

strain gauge

• Specialized

6.3

A small object that measures how much a surface stretches or bends

S

strain in someone's back

4.0

A pain in the back muscles that comes after lifting or sudden movement

How Forceful

overexertion

1 6.5

strain

72 4.3

effort

∞ 1.0

attempt

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

Etymology