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Adjective: strained  streynd
  1. Lacking natural ease
    "a strained style of debating";
    - labored [US], laboured [Brit, Cdn]
  2. Showing signs of mental and emotional tension
    "her voice was strained as she asked the question"
  3. Lacking spontaneity; not natural
    "a strained smile";
    - constrained, forced
  4. Struggling for effect
    "strained poses";
    - agonistic
Verb: strain  streyn
  1. To exert much effort or energy
    "straining our ears to hear";
    - strive, reach
  2. Test the limits of
    "You are straining my patience!";
    - try, stress
    "Don't strain your mind too much";
    - extend
    "strain the flour";
    - sift, sieve
  5. Cause to be tense and uneasy, nervous or anxious
    - tense, tense up
  6. Become stretched, tense or taut
    "the rope strained when the weight was attached";
    - tense
  7. Remove by passing through a filter
    "strain out the impurities";
    - filter, filtrate, separate out, filter out
    "strain the vegetables for the baby";
    - puree, purée
  9. Alter the shape of (something) by stress
    - deform, distort

See also: affected, awkward, tense, unnatural

Type of: affect, afflict, apply, drive, employ, form, labor [US], labour [Brit, Cdn], push, rub, separate, shape, sweat, tighten, tug, use, utilise [Brit], utilize

Antonym: unstrain

Encyclopedia: Strained

Strain, John