Meaning

14 senses

  1. (transitive)To lengthen by pulling.

    I stretched the rubber band until it almost broke.

    strecken, dehnen, langziehen

    вытя́гиватьvytjágivatʹ, вы́тянутьvýtjanutʹ, растя́гиватьrastjágivatʹ

    розтяга́тиroztjaháty, розтягти́roztjahtý, витяга́тиvytjaháty

    make long or longer by pulling and stretching

  2. (intransitive)To lengthen when pulled.

    The rubber band stretched almost to the breaking point.

    sich dehnen, ausleiern, sich strecken

    вытя́гиватьсяvytjágivatʹsja, вы́тянутьсяvýtjanutʹsja, растя́гиватьсяrastjágivatʹsja

    витяга́тисяvytjahátysja, ви́тягтисяvýtjahtysja, розтяга́тисяroztjahátysja

    become longer by being stretched and pulled

  3. (transitive)To pull tight.

    First, stretch the skin over the frame of the drum.

    ziehen, überziehen, straffen

    натя́гиватьnatjágivatʹ, натяну́тьnatjanútʹ

    натягат́иnatjahat́y, натягти́natjahtý

    pull in opposite directions

  4. (intransitive, transitive)To extend one’s limbs or another part of the body, for example in order to improve the elasticity of one's muscles.

    I always stretch my muscles before exercising.

    When the cat woke up, it yawned and stretched.

    dehnen, recken, strecken

    потя́гиватьсяpotjágivatʹsja, потяну́тьсяpotjanútʹsja, протя́гиватьprotjágivatʹ

    extend one's limbs or muscles, or the entire body

  5. (intransitive)To extend physically, especially from a limit point and/or to a limit point.

    The beach stretches from Cresswell to Amble.

    spannen, reichen

    простира́тьсяprostirátʹsja

    extend one's body or limbs

  6. (figuratively, transitive)To get more use than expected from a limited resource.

    I managed to stretch my coffee supply a few more days.

    strecken, ausnutzen, beanspruchen

    растя́гиватьrastjágivatʹ, растяну́тьrastjanútʹ

  7. (figuratively, transitive)To make inaccurate by exaggeration.

    To say crossing the street was brave is stretching the meaning of "brave" considerably.

    To say he's been to this park a million times is stretching the numbers. The true number is around 30 or 40.

    erweitern, überziehen

    преувели́чиватьpreuvelíčivatʹ, преувели́читьpreuvelíčitʹ

  8. (transitive)To make great demands on the capacity or resources of something.

    Her bizarre explanation really stretches credulity.

  9. (transitive)To increase.

    increase in quantity or bulk by adding a cheaper substance

  10. (intransitive)To increase, to grow.

    As I sat in the waiting room, the minutes stretched into hours.

  11. To sail by the wind under press of canvas.

    The ship stretched to the eastward.

  12. (transitive)To make a pulse or particle bunch longer by applying dispersion to it.

Examples

331 sentences

  1. We're in the home stretch.

    Ми на фінішній прямій. — deniko

    ruМы на финишной прямой. — odexed

    CM · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. This material stretches easily.

    Цей матеріал легко розтягується. — deniko

    ruЭтот материал легко тянется. — megaton

    deDieses Material dehnt sich leicht aus. — kolonjano

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. Dad stretched after dinner.

    Татко потягнувся після обіду. — deniko

    ruПапа потянулся после обеда. — shanghainese

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. Stretch out your arms.

    Витягніть руки. — deniko

    ruВытяните руки. — marafon

    mailohilohi · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  5. I want to stretch my legs.

    ruЯ хочу размять ноги. — Wezel

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

8 languages
Українська
By meaning 3
to lengthen by pulling:
to lengthen when pulled:
to pull tight:
Русский
By meaning 6
to lengthen by pulling:
to lengthen when pulled:
to pull tight:
to extend one’s limbs or body, for example in order to improve the elasticity the muscles:
to extend from limit to limit:
to be inaccurate by exaggeration:
Deutsch
By meaning 7
to lengthen by pulling:
to lengthen when pulled:
to pull tight:
to extend one’s limbs or body, for example in order to improve the elasticity the muscles:
to extend from limit to limit:
to get more than expected from a limited resource:
to be inaccurate by exaggeration:

Origin

From Middle English strecchen, from Old English streċċan (“to stretch, hold out, extend, s

From Middle English strecchen, from Old English streċċan (“to stretch, hold out, extend, spread out, prostrate”), from Proto-West Germanic *strakkjan (“to stretch, make taut or tight”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)treg-, *streg-, *treg- (“stiff, rigid”). Cognate with West Frisian strekke, Dutch strekken (“to stretch, straighten”), German strecken (“to stretch, straighten, elongate”), Danish strække (“to stretch”), Swedish sträcka (“to stretch”), Dutch strak (“taut, tight”), Albanian shtriqem (“to stretch”). More at stark.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

stretches, stretching, stretched, stretched
Base formstretch · to stretch
3rd person singularstretches
Present participlestretching
Past simplestretched
Past participlestretched

regular

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theystretch
he, she, itstretches

Past simpleLesson

all personsstretched

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave stretched
he, she, ithas stretched

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill stretch

Synonyms

29 synonyms
overemphasizeB2exaggerateB2hangB1hyperbolizeoverstatebig upcut it fatoverchargeoverdoplay upthree-sheettrussforhangGuy Fawkes
Close in meaning
  • extend one's limbs or muscles, or the entire body:extend
  • extend one's body or limbs:stretch out
  • lie down comfortably:stretch out
  • occupy a large, elongated area:stretch along
  • increase in quantity or bulk by adding a cheaper substance:extend
  • make long or longer by pulling and stretching:elongate

Antonyms

2 antonyms
compressB2
shrink

Word family

3 related words
Relatedpandiculatestretchingstretcher

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
streptococcusstressB1stressfulB1stretcherstrewstrictA1

Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.

stretch — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto