tensely
tensely — adverb
1. in a way that shows you are worried or nervous, especially while you wait for so
in a way that shows you are worried or nervous, especially while you wait for something important or face a situation that makes you anxious
Quan waited tensely for the doctor to call his name.
waited tensely for [event]
Devika watched tensely as the last competitor completed her routine.
watched tensely as [someone] [did something]
The passengers sat tensely during the sudden turbulence on the flight.
Soraya listened tensely to the news about her hometown's evacuation orders.
David stared tensely at his phone, waiting for the interview results.
- nervously
more general; 'nervously' describes any nervous action, while 'tensely' implies a strained, rigid quality
- anxiously
stronger focus on worry about a specific outcome; 'anxiously' suggests restless concern
- worriedly
more direct about fear or concern; less common in everyday speech than 'nervously' or 'anxiously'
文法句型
verb + tensely
用法筆記
Tensely is most often paired with verbs that describe waiting, watching, listening, or sitting — actions where a person's inner nervousness shows outwardly through body language.
常見錯誤
2. in a way that involves your muscles or body being pulled tight and stiff, withou
in a way that involves your muscles or body being pulled tight and stiff, without relaxation or flexibility
Élise held her shoulders tensely, unable to relax during the massage.
held [body part] tensely
Gabriel's fingers gripped the railing tensely, his knuckles turning white.
[body part] + gripped + tensely
Xiu lay tensely on the hospital bed, every muscle in her back rigid.
The cat's tail twitched tensely as it eyed the bird outside the window.
文法句型
verb + tensely
用法筆記
This sense always describes a physical state of the body, though the two meanings can overlap — someone who is emotionally nervous may also hold their muscles physically tensely.