Strained meaning

What does “strained” mean? Definitions, examples, synonyms and opposites.

“strained” is an adjective with 4 meanings. Its most common meaning is: lacking natural ease.

strained

lacking natural ease
“a labored style of debating”
Synonymslabored laboured
showing signs of mental and emotional tension
“her voice was strained as she asked the question”
lacking spontaneity; not natural
“a constrained smile”
“forced heartiness”
Synonymsconstrained forced
struggling for effect
“agonistic poses”
Synonymsagonistic

Source: WordNet 3.1, Princeton University