Pronunciation enPR: tĕns, IPA (key): /tɛns/ Audio (US)(file) Adjective Positive tense Comparative tenser Superlative tensest Tightly stretched. Make sure that the net is as stretched as tense as possible for maximum coverage. Stressed; nervous. How odd it was that he was a very courageous boy, yet he became very tense when he was being asked to dance. Noun Singular tense Plural tenses (uncountable) (grammar) Tense is a grammatical system of verb forms that usually shows past, present, or future time. Unlike French, English only has two tenses: past and present. (countable) A tense is one of the verb forms marked by the tense system. The verb cut is spelled the same in both tenses. (countable) In popular language, a tense is often used to refer to any verb form including tense, aspect, mood, and voice. Shouldn't this be in the progressive tense? Verb Plain form tense Third-person singular tenses Past tense tensed Past participle tensed Present participle tensing To make or become tense. This short section needs someone to add to it.Wikiwand - on Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.