tautened
Pulled until tight
Tautened is the past tense of tauten, meaning to make or become tight and stretched: He tautened the rope until it hummed.
The word applies to muscles, cables, nerves, or anything that can be pulled firm: Her jaw tautened as she listened to the accusation.
Pulled to lengthen
tensioned · drawn · snug · cinched · stiffened · constricted · braced · flexed
Strained or nervous
- anxiousTroubled by uncertainty
- nervousUneasy and apprehensive
- stressedOverwhelmed by pressure
- edgyTense and irritable
uneasy · apprehensive · strained · on edge · overwrought · high-strung · agitated · keyed up
stretched
Pulled to lengthen
firm · tensioned · drawn · snug · cinched · stiffened · constricted · braced · flexed · straightened
tense
Strained or nervous
edgy · uneasy · apprehensive · strained · on edge · overwrought · high-strung · agitated · keyed up · wound up
suspenseful
Creating anxious anticipation
- grippingHolding attention completely
- intenseExtreme in degree
- heightenedIncreased in degree
dramatic · mounting · escalating · building · climactic · charged · fraught · electric · riveting · nail-biting