straining

Exerting great effort

Straining is effort pushed to its limits—muscles, patience, relationships, credulity.

Physical straining involves exertion against resistance: straining to lift the box, straining at the oars.

A straining voice or straining eyes show the wear of overuse.

Liquids pass through straining when filtered: straining the pasta.

That explanation is straining credulity means it barely holds together.

physical

pulling

Force toward oneself

tuggingPulling with short jerks
heavingMoving up and down
liftingRaising something heavy

hauling · pushing · dragging · hoisting · yanking · muscles · tendons · ligaments · exertion · overexertion

filtering

sieve

Mesh filtering utensil

colanderKitchen bowl for draining
cheeseclothOpen-weave straining fabric
meshInterlocking open weave

muslin · chinois · filtration · separating · draining · sifting · clarifying · pasta · broth · stock

effort

struggling

Experiencing serious difficulty

laboringWorking strenuously
toilingWorking strenuously, exhaustingly
exertingApplying with effort

pushing · endeavoring · slogging · grinding · arduous · strenuous · taxing · effortful · difficulty · uphill

tension

tightness

State of being constricted

tautnessState of being pulled firm
stretchingExtending muscles or material
pullingForce toward oneself

stress · pressure · rigidity · distension · contraction · flexing · deformation · overextension · cable · rope

emotional

stress

Pressure, mental or vocal

anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
pressureForce upon contact
tensionStretched or strained state

overwhelm · burnout · distress · worry · nerves · fatigue · exhaustion · patience · relationships · credulity

Categories

food processingcanning, freezing, drying, packaging, pasteurization
juice makingsqueezing, pressing, juicing, blending, pulping
Too Muchoverflowing, spilling, flooding, stuffing, cramming
separating methodsflour sifting, gold panning, winnowing, screening, filtering
food prepchopping, slicing, dicing, mincing, peeling
exertioneffort, heaving, labor, hauling, toil

Opposites

effort and exertion

strainingeffortless

Requiring no strain

coasting · relaxing · resting · unstrained · easy

tension and muscular state

strainingrelaxing

Becoming less tense

loosening · unwinding · releasing · slackening · relaxed

filtering and separation

strainingcombining

Joining multiple elements

mixing · blending · adding · infusing · incorporating

Family

strain, restrain, strained, constraint, restrained, constrain, strainer, strains, overstrain

Familiarity: Top 20,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G