1. To pull tightly or make an excessive effort that puts something under stress.
2. To pass a liquid through a filter to remove unwanted solid material.
3. A distinct variety or line within an organism, culture, or recurring pattern.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- strain a muscle
- strain to hear
On the page
She strained to hear the voice beyond the door.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- strain
- Past tense
- strained
- Past participle
- strained
- Present participle
- straining
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- strain
- Present continuous
- am/is/are straining
- Present perfect
- have/has strained
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been straining
- Past
- strained
- Past continuous
- was/were straining
- Past perfect
- had strained
- Past perfect continuous
- had been straining
- Future
- will strain
- Future continuous
- will be straining
- Future perfect
- will have strained
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been straining
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: strain; strains; strained; strained; straining. Noun singular strain; plural strains. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: strains.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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