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

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. 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, nervous or anxious
   - tense, tense up
    
6. Become stretched, 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. (cooking) 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

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

Antonym: unlax

Encyclopedia: Straining