The meeting was filled with tense silence as everyone waited for the decision.

tense 是形容词，意思是"紧张的、绷紧的"，用来描述气氛或情绪状态。这个词来自拉丁语tensus（拉紧的），与动词tend（伸展、绷紧）同源。在句中形容沉默时那种令人不安的紧张氛围。