Word
緊張
Meaning in Englishtension, nervousness, strain
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Word context
What it means
緊張 means a state of mental and physical arousal marked by heightened alertness and tension, encompassing nervous anticipation in social or performance contexts as well as the physical sensation of muscle tightness caused by stress.
Main meanings
- emotional tension kinchoukan — nervousness or anxiety about a situation
- physical tension kinseikun — muscle tightness or stiffness
- atmospheric tension kinjōkan — a tense or charged moment in a group or event
- formal or constraining seriousness kinseisuru — a sense of constraint or severity
How to use it
Used across formal and casual contexts to describe nervousness, anticipation, or physical muscle tightness: 緊張する, 緊張感, 緊張が高まる, 筋肉の緊張.
Variants and close terms
- 緊張感 kinchoukan — sense of tension
- 緊迫感 kinpaku-kan — sense of urgency or tense atmosphere
- 不安 fuan — anxiety
- リラックス rirakkusu — relaxation (antonym)
- くつろぐ kutsurogu — to relax (antonym in usage)
Composition
- 緊: tight, dense, strict
- 張: to stretch, to extend
- Combination: a state of tightness that can manifest as mental alertness or physical stiffness, hence the meaning of tension or nervousness
Etymology
緊 (tight) + 張 (to stretch) combine to express tightness and potential stretching; the compound yields the on'yomi kinchō leading to the modern pronunciation kinchō.
Word class
Noun (名詞)
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