← Back to Fala2Me

heighten the tension

[/ˈhaɪtn̩ ðə ˈtenʃən/]
verb phrase
aumentar a tensão
1. to make a situation of stress, anxiety, or conflict more intense or pronounced
The unexpected announcement heightened the tension in the boardroom.
O anúncio inesperado aumentou a tensão na sala de reuniões.
2. to intensify emotional strain or suspense in a narrative or dramatic situation
The director used dramatic music to heighten the tension during the final scene.
O diretor usou música dramática para aumentar a tensão durante a cena final.
NYC Slang
crank up the heat / turn up the heat
Synonyms
intensify the tensionescalate the tensionbuild tensionamplify the tensionexacerbate the tension
Antonyms
ease the tensionrelieve the tensionreduce the tensiondefuse the tensionlower the tension

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
aumentar a tensão
most common usage across Brazil
São Paulo
aumentar a tensão / intensificar a tensão
both forms widely used in business and media contexts
Rio de Janeiro
aumentar a tensão / esquentar o clima
esquentar o clima is more colloquial
Portugal
aumentar a tensão / intensificar a tensão
formal contexts prefer intensificar

Related Idioms & Phrases

on edge
cut the tension with a knife
thick with tension
build to a crescendo
bring to a boiling point
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →