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ficar tenso

[fee-KAR TEN-so]
verb phrase
to become tense, to get tense
1. to become physically or emotionally tense; to feel nervous or anxious
He got tense when he heard the bad news.
Ele ficou tenso quando ouviu a má notícia.
2. to experience muscle tension or stiffness
My shoulders got tense after sitting at the desk all day.
Meus ombros ficaram tensos depois de ficar sentado na mesa o dia todo.
3. to become awkward or uncomfortable in social situations
The atmosphere got tense when politics was mentioned.
A atmosfera ficou tensa quando a política foi mencionada.
NYC Slang
get tight, get wound up, get stressed
Synonyms
ficar nervosoficar ansiosoficar estressadoenrijecertensionar-se
Antonyms
relaxarficar calmoficar tranquilodescontrair

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ficar tenso
most common usage
Rio de Janeiro
ficar tenso
commonly used with colloquial intensity
São Paulo
ficar tenso
standard usage in business and formal contexts
Portugal
ficar tenso
used similarly, though 'tensão' may be preferred in formal speech

Related Idioms & Phrases

ficar com os nervos à flor da pele
ficar de pé atrás
ficar numa má situação
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