verb

strain

strayn

verb

To injure a muscle or tendon by overstretching or overusing it.

"He strained his back lifting the sofa."

"Reading in dim light can strain your eyes."

To make a great, often exhausting effort.

"She strained to hear the whispered conversation next door."

To pass a liquid through a sieve or strainer to remove solids.

"Strain the pasta before adding the sauce."

noun

Physical or mental pressure, tension, or exhaustion.

"The long hours put a lot of strain on the whole team."

"You could hear the strain in his voice."

A particular variety of a virus, bacterium, or other organism.

"Scientists identified a new strain of the flu virus."

How to Use Strain

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishPutting pressure or stress on something (a muscle, a relationship, a budget), or filtering liquid, or a specific genetic variety of a germ.

Common pairings

strain a muscle under strain a new strain of virus strain to hear

Word Forms

strained past tense, strained past tense, strains plural, strains plural, Strains plural, strains singular, strains singular

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Can you complete this real example?

He _____ his back lifting the sofa.

Etymology

The verb traces to Old French "estraindre" ("to bind tightly"), from Latin "stringere"; the "lineage/variety" noun sense comes from a separate Old English root meaning "gain" or "stock."

Rhymes for strain

ain rain pain lain gain main vain fain bain Iain Jain Cain

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