taut
Pulled without slack
Taut means pulled tight, with no slack or looseness: a taut rope, taut muscles.
The word extends to anything showing tension—a taut expression reveals strain, a taut thriller maintains suspense without wasted moments.
Taut prose is lean and controlled, with nothing extraneous.
The opposite is slack or loose.
Strained or nervous
- strainedUnder uncomfortable tension
- nervousUneasy and apprehensive
- edgyTense and irritable
- on-edgeTense and uneasy
stressed · wound-up · high-strung · jittery · uneasy · apprehensive · anxious · keyed-up
Strained or nervous
- strainedUnder uncomfortable tension
- pulledDrew with force
- drawnRendered in lines
- tensionedPulled tight deliberately
rigid · stiff · bowstring · drumskin · trampoline · canvas · sail · wire
Rendered in lines
- strainedUnder uncomfortable tension
- pinchedStole or squeezed tightly
- grimHarsh and foreboding
- setArrange in position
rigid · clenched · stern · unsmiling · severe · steely · hard · fixed
Briefly and clearly stated
- economicalUsing resources sparingly
- spareHeld in reserve
- leanLacking fat; incline
- crispFirm and breakable
succinct · pithy · terse · streamlined · pared-down · disciplined · controlled · compressed
Contracted a muscle
wiry · lean · ripped · toned · contracted · tensed · sculpted · straining
Strained or nervous
- grippingHolding attention completely
- thrillingIntensely exciting
- nerve-wrackingCausing extreme anxiety
- edge-of-seatIntensely suspenseful experience
riveting · nail-biting · intense · breathless · suspenseful · climactic · anxious · heart-pounding
tense
Strained or nervous
on-edge · stressed · wound-up · high-strung · jittery · uneasy · apprehensive · anxious · keyed-up · overwrought
tense
Strained or nervous
tensioned · rigid · stiff · bowstring · drumskin · trampoline · canvas · sail · wire · cable
drawn
Rendered in lines
set · rigid · clenched · stern · unsmiling · severe · steely · hard · fixed · tense
concise
Briefly and clearly stated
- economicalUsing resources sparingly
- spareHeld in reserve
- leanLacking fat; incline
crisp · succinct · pithy · terse · streamlined · pared-down · disciplined · controlled · compressed · focused
flexed
Contracted a muscle
sinewy · wiry · lean · ripped · toned · contracted · tensed · sculpted · straining · athletic
tense
Strained or nervous
- grippingHolding attention completely
- thrillingIntensely exciting
- nerve-wrackingCausing extreme anxiety
edge-of-seat · riveting · nail-biting · intense · breathless · suspenseful · climactic · anxious · heart-pounding · white-knuckle
- tightnesssnug, constricting, compressed, squeezed, clenched
- body positionslying down, flat, upright, standing, sitting
- skin descriptionssmooth, rough, dry, oily, fair
- texturessmoothness, smooth, soft, rough, roughness
- fabric statesworn, clean, dirty, ripped, stretched
- muscle conditionstoned, flexed, relaxed, tense, stiff