intensely
Americanadverb
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to a high or extreme degree.
Many ingredients are rolled into this intensely flavorful and very versatile curry paste.
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(said in reference to emotions or feelings) acutely, strongly, or vehemently.
We should all be intensely angry about what is happening, and should do something besides just sitting at our computers absorbing information.
I disliked the book intensely.
-
earnestly or strenuously; in a highly engaged or involved way.
The first time I watched the documentary, all I saw was these four people talking intensely about their music.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of intensely
Explanation
Anything that happens in an extreme or profound way is done intensely, like your practice of staring intensely at your cat in an attempt to read his mind. A roaring fire burns intensely, and you'd be the first to admit that you love your dog intensely. This fierce and strong adverb works well for things that are literally or figuratively powerful, so you can study intensely for your geometry quiz or witness an intensely destructive earthquake. The Latin root, intensus, means "stretched, strained, or tight."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If anything, many of the Gen Z drinkers I interviewed sounded intensely interested in food, wine, cocktails and hospitality.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
It appeared both intensely red and remarkably bright.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
Families who have lived in Big Sur for generations have come to expect their share of curveballs, particularly as climate change has accelerated rapid swings between intensely wet and dangerously dry weather.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Yet even if the entire world managed dramatic emission cuts, the fire would still burn 5.5% more intensely in 2050.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
He loved reading about forests and jungles, intensely studying the sketches and detailed information about wildlife—monkeys, vampire bats, lions, cheetahs, and bears, to name a few.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
