hypertense

[ hahy-per-tens ]

adjective

1. extremely or abnormally tense, excitable, or snappish.

Other Words From

• hyper·tensely adverb
• hyper·tenseness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hypertense¹

hyper- + tense ¹, or as back formation from hypertension

Example Sentences

“We found that they were both hypertense, but it’s still extremely weird that they both died at the same time.”

From Washington Post

As this year’s final season wound itself up ever tighter, Nathan Barr’s hypertense, eastern-tinged intro music only got more effective.

From The Guardian

“Easygoing Tim and hypertense Andrew,” he writes of lyricist Tim Rice, who moved into the Lloyd Webber family compound almost as soon as he and the teenage Andrew teamed up as songwriting partners in 1965.

From Washington Post

Polling in New Hampshire puts him in eighth place behind Carly Fiorina, a businesswoman with a patchy record and hypertense style of oratory.

From Economist

Mr. DelBello, described in a 1985 Forbes magazine article as “a sinewy, hypertense, almost panther-lithe man,” started his political career on the Yonkers City Council and became that city’s mayor in 1970.

From New York Times