English verb: tense up | |||
1. | tense up (body) become tense, nervous, or uneasy | ||
Samples | He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room. | ||
Synonyms | tense | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s. Somebody ----s. Somebody's (body part) ----s | ||
Broader (hypernym) | change state, turn | ||
Antonyms | relax, decompress, unwind, loosen up, slow down, unbend | ||
2. | tense up (body) cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious | ||
Samples | He got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up. | ||
Synonyms | strain, tense | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | affect | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | extend, stretch | ||
Cause | tense, tense up | ||
Antonyms | make relaxed, unlax, unstrain, relax, unwind, loosen up | ||