# hypertension

/ˌhaɪpɝˈtɛnʃən/ (US) · /hˈaɪpətənʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hypertension
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. high blood pressure

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

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

- The doctor warned him that untreated hypertension could lead to heart problems.
- Clinical trials have demonstrated that managing essential hypertension through diet and medication significantly reduces the long-term risk of stroke.

### 2. extreme tension

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Literary

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

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

- The hypertension in the office was obvious as the deadline approached.
- The novel captures the psychological hypertension of the era, where every social interaction was fraught with unspoken political danger.

## Examples

- He takes daily medication to manage his hypertension.
- Doctors often recommend a low-salt diet and regular exercise to patients diagnosed with hypertension to reduce the risk of stroke.
- While primary hypertension often develops gradually over many years with no identifiable cause, secondary hypertension tends to appear suddenly and is caused by an underlying condition such as kidney disease.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.