tense
Tense can refer to a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time. As a verb, tense can mean to become stretched or tense or taut, become tense, nervous, or uneasy, or cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious.
Length
5
Scrabble
5
WWF
6
Starts
TE
Ends
NSE
Difficulty
Medium
Dictionary
What Does “TENSE” Mean?
tense has 8 documented senses across adjective, noun, verb.
Adjective
3 sensesin or of a state of physical or nervous tension
pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in ‘beat’)
taut or rigid; stretched tight
“tense piano strings”
Noun
1 sensea grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
Verb
4 sensesbecome stretched or tense or taut
“the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed”
“the rope strained when the weight was attached”
Synonyms
increase the tension on
“alternately relax and tense your calf muscle”
“tense the rope manually before tensing the spring”
become tense, nervous, or uneasy
“He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room”
cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious
“he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up”
Synonyms
Synonyms for TENSE
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
5
Vowels
2
Consonants
3
Word Intelligence
Explore the word tense with its definition, score, letter pattern, and useful word game details.
Definition
in or of a state of physical or nervous tension
Length
5 letters
Starts With
T
Ends With
E
Vowels
2
Consonants
3
Letters
T, E, N, S, E
Use Case
Useful for Scrabble, Wordle, crosswords, anagrams, and other word games.
Letter Breakdown
Word Facts
Key letter, score, and pattern facts for tense.
Word Strategy
Strategy notes for using tense in Scrabble, Wordle-style games, crosswords, and anagram solving.
Scrabble Strategy
★★☆☆☆TENSE has a Scrabble score of 5. It is useful for balancing a rack and building steady board position.
Wordle Strategy
★★★★☆TENSE is a five-letter word, so it can be considered in Wordle-style solving. It includes common vowel information that can help narrow guesses.
Crossword Strategy
★★★★☆TENSE can be useful in crossword solving because it has a clear starting letter, ending letter, and 5-letter structure.
Anagram Strategy
★★★☆☆TENSE contains repeated letters, which can make anagram solving more constrained but also easier to pattern-match.
Letter Intelligence
A deeper look at the letter structure, patterns, and useful game signals inside tense.
Unique Letters
4
Repeated Letters
1
Highest Value Letter
T
Letter Pattern
ABCDB
CV Pattern
CVCCV
Vowel Share
40%
Consonant Share
60%
Bigrams
TE, EN, NS, SE
Trigrams
TEN, ENS, NSE
Crossword Intelligence
Crossword-style clues, crossing help, and pattern notes for tense.
Related Words
ta
This word is included in the UnscrambleHQ word-game dictionary. A verified definition is not currently available.
taal
This word is included in the UnscrambleHQ word-game dictionary. A verified definition is not currently available.
taals
This word is included in the UnscrambleHQ word-game dictionary. A verified definition is not currently available.
taata
This word is included in the UnscrambleHQ word-game dictionary. A verified definition is not currently available.
taatas
This word is included in the UnscrambleHQ word-game dictionary. A verified definition is not currently available.
tab
This word is included in the UnscrambleHQ word-game dictionary. A verified definition is not currently available.
tabanid
This word is included in the UnscrambleHQ word-game dictionary. A verified definition is not currently available.
tabanids
This word is included in the UnscrambleHQ word-game dictionary. A verified definition is not currently available.
tabard
This word is included in the UnscrambleHQ word-game dictionary. A verified definition is not currently available.
Word Usage Insights
Practical observations about how this word performs in different word games and puzzle situations.
Word Intelligence Links
Explore word lists connected to TENSE by length, score, vowels, consonants, starting letters, ending letters, and word game tools.
Word Family
Explore words that share a similar beginning or root pattern with tense.
Related Word Tools
Explore related word lists, patterns, and tools connected to this page.