English Reference
noun

hypertension

n.
US /ˌhaɪpɝˈtɛnʃən/ UK /hˈaɪpətənʃən/ hy·per·ten·sion UK spelling hypertensions

  1. 01 C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

    a medical condition where your blood pressure is higher than it should be.

    a clinical state of abnormally high arterial blood pressure. Uncountable in general reference; countable when referring to specific types or instances.

    Simple

    The doctor warned him that untreated hypertension could lead to heart problems.

    In context

    Clinical trials have demonstrated that managing essential hypertension through diet and medication significantly reduces the long-term risk of stroke.

    high blood pressure
    hypotension
  2. 02 C2 Proficiency FormalLiterary

    a state of being very worried, nervous, or emotionally tight.

    a state of excessive emotional or nervous tension. Used figuratively or in psychological contexts to describe extreme stress.

    Simple

    The hypertension in the office was obvious as the deadline approached.

    In context

    The novel captures the psychological hypertension of the era, where every social interaction was fraught with unspoken political danger.

It was also associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and heart arrhythmias.

ScienceDaily· 24 Aug 2026

Participants with prehypertension or stage 1 hypertension in one group received a small daily amount of peppermint oil.

ScienceDaily· 22 Aug 2026

From hyper- + tension.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated