- 1[transitive] strain something/yourself to injure yourself or part of your body by making it work too hard to strain a muscle You'll strain your back carrying those heavy suitcases. Topic CollocationsInjuriesbeing injured
- have a fall/an injury
- receive/suffer/sustain a serious injury/a hairline fracture/a gunshot wound/a concussion/whiplash injuries
- hurt/injure your ankle/back/leg
- damage the brain/an ankle ligament/your liver/the optic nerve/the skin
- pull/strain/tear a hamstring/ligament/muscle/tendon
- sprain/twist your ankle/wrist
- break a bone/your collarbone/your leg/three ribs
- fracture/crack your skull
- break/chip/knock out/lose a tooth
- burst/perforate your eardrum
- dislocate your finger/hip/jaw/shoulder/elbow
- bruise/cut/graze your arm/knee/shoulder
- burn/scald yourself/your tongue
- bang/bump/hit your elbow/head/knee (on/against something)
- treat somebody for burns/a head injury/a stab wound
- examine/clean/dress/bandage/treat a bullet wound
- repair a damaged/torn ligament/tendon/cartilage
- amputate/cut off an arm/a finger/a foot/a leg/a limb
- put on (formal) apply/take off a Band-Aid™/a sterile dressing/a bandage
- need/require/put in/get/take out stitches
- put on/rub on (formal) apply cream/ointment/lotion
- have/receive/undergo physical therapy
- wound
- hurt
- bruise
- sprain
- pull
- strain
- injure to harm yourself or someone else physically, especially in an accident:He injured his knee playing hockey. Three people were injured in the crash.
- wound [often passive] (somewhat formal) to injure part of the body, especially by making a hole in the skin using a weapon:Two people were killed and dozens more wounded in the attack. Wound is often used to talk about people being hurt in war or in other attacks which affect a lot of people.
- hurt (somewhat informal) to cause physical pain to someone or yourself; to injure someone or yourself:Did you hurt yourself?
- You can hurt or injure a part of the body in an accident. Hurt emphasizes the physical pain caused;injure emphasizes that the part of the body has been damaged in some way.
- bruise to make a blue, brown, or purple mark (= a bruise) appear on the skin after someone has fallen or been hit; to develop a bruise
- sprain to injure part of your body, especially your ankle, wrist, or knee, by suddenly bending it in an awkward way, causing pain and swelling
- pull to damage a muscle, etc., by using too much force
- strain to injure yourself or part of your body by making it work too hard:Don't strain your eyes by reading in poor light.
- to injure/hurt/strain yourself
- to injure/hurt/pull/strain a muscle
- to injure/hurt/sprain your ankle/knee/wrist
- to injure/hurt/strain your back/shoulder/eyes
- to injure/hurt your spine/neck
- to be badly/severely/slightly injured/wounded/hurt/bruised/sprained
make effort - 2[transitive, intransitive] to make an effort to do something, using all your mental or physical strength strain something to do something I strained my ears (= listened very hard) to catch what they were saying. strain something Necks were strained for a glimpse of the stranger. strain to do something People were straining to see what was going on. strain (something) (for something) He burst to the surface, straining for air. Bend gently to the left without straining.
- 3[transitive] strain something to try to make something do more than it is able to do The sudden influx of visitors is straining hotels in the town to the limit. His constant complaints were straining our patience. The dispute has strained relations between the two countries (= made them difficult). Her latest version of events strained their credulity still further. push/pull hard
- 4[intransitive] + adv./prep. to push hard against something; to pull hard on something She strained against the ropes that held her. The dogs were straining at the leash, eager to get to the park. separate solid from liquid
- 5[transitive] to pour food, etc. through something with very small holes in it, for example a sieve, in order to separate the solid part from the liquid part strain something Use a colander to strain the vegetables. strain something off Strain off any excess liquid. Idioms
strain
verbNAmE//streɪn//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they strain he / she / it strains
past simple strained
-ing form straining
to want to do something very much Like all youngsters, he's straining at the leash to leave home.
to try as hard as you can to do something He strained every nerve to snatch victory from defeat.
Check pronunciation: strain