angespannten

Angespannten is the inflected form of the German adjective angespannt. The base meaning is tense, strained, or taut, and it is used to describe bodies, objects, or situations that are under physical tension or emotional pressure. It can modify a noun in attributive position or appear with determiners that require a particular ending.

From the verb spannen (to tighten or stretch) with the prefix an-, angespannt describes something that has been brought into tension. As an adjective, its ending changes to agree with number, gender, and case. In plural with a definite determiner or possessive, the common form is angespannten: die angespannten Muskeln (nominative plural), den angespannten Muskeln (dative plural), der angespannten Muskeln (genitive plural). Without a determiner, the plural form commonly appears as angespannte Muskeln. In singular, the endings vary more, for example ein angespanntes Seil (neuter) or eine angespannte Schulter (feminine).

Usage and nuance: Angespannt can describe physical states (muscles, nerves, ligaments) or situational pressure (a tense meeting, a strained atmosphere). It often appears in everyday language as well as in journalism and literature. In predicative constructions, however, the form is typically angespannt: Die Nerven sind angespannt. The term is closely related to synonyms such as nervös, gestresst, oder gespannt, though each may carry slightly different emphasis.

See also: tension, stress, nervous system, grammar of German adjectives.