straining

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun an intense or violent exertion
noun the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean
verb to exert much effort or energy

For half an hour I sat with straining ears. — The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle
For half an hour I sat with straining ears. — Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Illustrated, Arthur Conan Doyle
Through the void of the night their straining eyes saw masses gliding across the face of the water. — A Victor of Salamis, William Stearns Davis

strain

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