intensity

[in-ten-si-tee]

noun

plural

intensities 

1. the quality or condition of being intense.

2. great energy, strength, concentration, vehemence, etc., as of activity, thought, or feeling.

   He went at the job with great intensity.

3. a high or extreme degree, as of cold or heat.

4. the degree or extent to which something is intense.

5. a high degree of emotional excitement; depth of feeling.

   The poem lacked intensity and left me unmoved.

   Synonyms: vigor, energy, emotion, passion

6. the strength or sharpness of a color due especially to its degree of freedom from admixture with its complementary color.

7. Physics.,  magnitude, as of energy or a force per unit of area, volume, time, etc.

8. Speech.

   1. the correlate of physical energy and the degree of loudness of a speech sound.

   2. the relative carrying power of vocal utterance.

intensity

/ ɪnˈtɛnsɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being intense

2. extreme force, degree, or amount

3. physics

   1. a measure of field strength or of the energy transmitted by radiation See radiant intensity luminous intensity

   2. I. (of sound in a specified direction) the average rate of flow of sound energy, usually in watts, for one period through unit area at right angles to the specified direction

4. Also called: earthquake intensity. geology a measure of the size of an earthquake based on observation of the effects of the shock at the earth's surface. Specified on the Mercalli scale See Mercalli scale Richter scale

Other Word Forms

• overintensity noun
• superintensity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of intensity¹

First recorded in 1655–65; intense + -ity

Example Sentences

“Yeah he was awesome. He was awesome. He, I think given the workload of today, I was impressed that he was able to sustain his level of intensity for as long as he did.”

From Los Angeles Times

Lewis, who delivers Orwell’s words with a steely intensity that builds toward alarm, says his warnings have only grown more urgent.

From Los Angeles Times

And as others have said, while his intensity remains, he has learned to control it.

From BBC

But because Jem, like so many of these characters, is underwritten, Bean has to fall back on generalized manly intensity, which turns their showdowns into actorly exercises.

From Los Angeles Times

I’ve experienced it all, and we are grateful for the opportunities to play stadiums, but I do like the smaller shows more, for the intensity and the intimacy of being so close to the audience.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• anxiety 
• concentration 
• depth 
• earnestness 
• emotion 
• energy 
• excitement 
• ferocity 
• fervor 
• fury 
• magnitude 
• power 
• severity 
• strength 
• tension 
• vigor