doing something in opposition to another way of doing it that you don't like; "his style of painting was a reaction against cubism"
a bodily process occurring due to the effect of some foregoing stimulus or agent; "a bad reaction to the medicine"; "his responses have slowed with age"
an idea evoked by some experience; "his reaction to the news was to start planning what to do"
extreme conservatism in political or social matters; "the forces of reaction carried the election"
a response that reveals a person's feelings or attitude; "he was pleased by the audience's reaction to his performance"; "John feared his mother's reaction when she saw the broken lamp"
(mechanics) the equal and opposite force that is produced when any force is applied to a body; "every action has an equal and opposite reaction"
bear (a cost or penalty), in recompense for some action; "You'll pay for this!"; "She had to pay the penalty for speaking out rashly"; "You'll pay for this opinion later"
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services; "I paid four dollars for this sandwich"; "Pay the waitress, please"
discharge or settle; "pay a debt"; "pay an obligation"
do or give something to somebody in return; "Does she pay you for the work you are doing?"
make a compensation for; "a favor that cannot be paid back"
a government that undertakes responsibility for the welfare of its citizens through programs in public health and public housing and pensions and unemployment compensation etc.
make payment to; compensate; "My efforts were not remunerated"
make amends for; pay compensation for; "One can never fully repair the suffering and losses of the Jews in the Third Reich"; "She was compensated for the loss of her arm in the accident"
adjust for; "engineers will work to correct the effects or air resistance"
the action of stretching something tight; "tension holds the belt in the pulleys"
(physics) a stress that produces an elongation of an elastic physical body; "the direction of maximum tension moves asymptotically toward the direction of the shear"
a balance between and interplay of opposing elements or tendencies (especially in art or literature); "there is a tension created between narrative time and movie time"; "there is a tension between these approaches to understanding history"
(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense; "he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension"; "stress is a vasoconstrictor"
the physical condition of being stretched or strained; "it places great tension on the leg muscles"; "he could feel the tenseness of her body"