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1. An intense or violent exertion
   - strain
    
2. The act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean
   - distortion, overrefinement, torture, twisting

1. Taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance
   "his final, straining burst of speed"
   - arduous, strenuous

1. To exert much effort or energy
   "straining our ears to hear"
   - strive, reach
    
2. Test the limits of
   "You are straining my patience!"
   - 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
   "strain the flour"
   - 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
   "strain out the impurities"
   - filter, filtrate, separate out, filter out
    
8. Rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender
   "strain the vegetables for the baby"
   - puree, purée
    
9. Alter the shape of (something) by stress
   - deform, distort

Derived forms: strainings

See also: effortful, strainer

Type of: affect, afflict, apply, drive, effort, elbow grease, employ, exertion, falsification, form, labor [US], labour [Brit, Cdn], misrepresentation, push, rub, separate, shape, sweat, tighten, travail, tug, use, utilise [Brit], utilize

Antonym: unstrain

Encyclopedia: Strain