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Tense vs Overwound - What's the difference?

tense | overwound |

As verbs the difference between tense and overwound

is that tense is while overwound is (overwind).

As an adjective overwound is

(figuratively|uncommon) nervous, tense, jumpy.

tense

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) tens (modern French temps), from (etyl) tempus.

Noun

(en noun)
  • (grammar) Any of the forms of a verb which distinguish when an action or state of being occurs or exists.
    • The basic tenses in English are present, past and future.
    Derived terms
    * tensal

    Verb

    (tens)
  • (grammar) To apply a tense to.
    • tensing a verb

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) tensus, past participle of .

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Showing signs of stress or strain; not relaxed.
    • You need to relax, all this overtime and stress is making you tense .
  • Pulled taut, without any slack.
    • Derived terms
    * hypertense

    Verb

    (tens)
  • To make or become tense.

    • Anagrams

    * * * ----

    overwound

    English

    Verb

    (head)
  • (overwind)

    • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (figuratively, uncommon) Nervous, tense, jumpy.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1949, author=Irwin Shaw, title=The Young Lions citation
    • , passage=Everyone else Christian had had anything to do with, ever since the bad night outside Alexandria, had seemed to be overwound , jumpy, bitter, hysterical, overtired...}}
  • * {{quote-book, year=1957, author=Richard Hoggart, title=The Uses Of Literacy citation
    • , passage=He has left his class, at least in spirit, by being in certain ways unusual; and he is still unusual in another class, too tense and overwound .}}
  • * {{quote-book, year=2004, author=Emma Holly, title=Strange Attractions, isbn=0-425-19821-9 citation
    • , passage=Eric's boss had accused him more than once of being a worrier, but Eric hadn't felt this overwound since his previous employer's stock underwent a dot-bomb implosion.}}
  • * {{quote-news, year=2004, date=October 6, author=Sidney Blumenthal, title=The master of Washington vs. the fox, work=Salon.com citation
    • , passage=He [Cheney] could only exist with a chief executive self-absorbed in his resentments, narrow in experience and intellectual scope, and who does not hold his vice president accountable; an incompetent national security advisor, overwound in her eagerness to please; and a secretary of state who never presses his advantages but accepts his internal defeats, playing the good soldier.}}