(especially of a muscle) stretched tight or rigid

she tried to relax her tense muscles

unable to relax because of nervousness, anxiety, or stimulation

he was tense with excitement

become tense, typically through anxiety or nervousness

her body tensed up

a set of forms taken by a verb to indicate the time (and sometimes also the continuance or completeness) of the action in relation to the time of the utterance

the future tense