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1. Lacking natural ease
   - labored [US], laboured [Brit, Cdn]
    
2. Showing signs of mental and emotional tension
   "her voice was strained as she asked the question"
    
3. Lacking spontaneity; not natural
   "a strained smile"
   - constrained, forced
    
4. Struggling for effect
   - agonistic

1. To exert much effort or energy
   "straining our ears to hear"
   - strive, reach
    
2. Test the limits of
   - try, stress
    
3. Use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity
   "Don't strain your mind too much"
   - extend
    
4. Separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements
   - sift, sieve
    
5. Cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious
   - tense, tense up
    
6. Become stretched or tense or taut
   "the rope strained when the weight was attached"
   - tense
    
7. Remove by passing through a filter
   - filter, filtrate, separate out, filter out
    
8. Rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender
   - puree, purée
    
9. Alter the shape of (something) by stress
   - deform, distort

See also: affected, awkward, strainer, straining, tense, unnatural

Type of: affect, afflict, apply, drive, employ, form, labor [US], labour [Brit, Cdn], push, rub, separate, shape, tighten, tug, use, utilise [Brit], utilize

Antonym: unstrain

Encyclopedia: Strain