intense

[ in-tens ]

/ ɪnˈtɛns /

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See synonyms for: intense / intensely / intenseness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

existing or occurring in a high or extreme degree: intense heat.

acute, strong, or vehement, as sensations, feelings, or emotions: intense anger.

of an extreme kind; very great, as in strength, keenness, severity, or the like: an intense gale.

having a characteristic quality in a high degree: The intense sunlight was blinding.

strenuous or earnest, as activity, exertion, diligence, or thought: an intense life.

exhibiting a high degree of some quality or action.

having or showing great strength, strong feeling, or tension, as a person, the face, or language.

susceptible to strong emotion; emotional: an intense person.

(of color) very deep: intense red.

Photography. dense (def. 4).

OTHER WORDS FOR intense

2 fervent, passionate, ardent, strong.

See synonyms for intense on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of intense

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin intēnsus, variant of intentus, past participle of the verb intendere “to stretch toward”; see in-², tense¹, intent², intend

OTHER WORDS FROM intense

in·tense·ly, adverbin·tense·ness, nounhy·per·in·tense, adjectivehy·per·in·tense·ness, noun

o·ver·in·tense, adjectiveo·ver·in·tense·ness, nounsu·per·in·tense, adjectivesu·per·in·tense·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH intense

1. intense , intensive2. intense , intents

Words nearby intense

intendency, intending, intendment, intenerate, Intens, intense, intensely, intensifier, intensify, intension, intensional

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use intense in a sentence

These intense blazes can level vast stretches of the forest rather than simply clearing out the undergrowth and leaving the big trees standing, says Scott Stephens, a professor of fire science at UC Berkeley.
Suppressing fires has failed. Here’s what California needs to do instead.|James Temple|September 17, 2020|MIT Technology Review
It faced intense pressure to ensure that — just as Airbus promised — pilots transferring from earlier 737 models didn’t need expensive additional simulator training.
Boeing crashes were the “horrific culmination” of multiple mistakes, House report says|kdunn6|September 16, 2020|Fortune
Apple Watch SEThere’s now a cheaper version of the Watch for people who don’t need the most intense sensors.
Apple just announced a new iPad, iPad Air, and Apple Watch Series 6|Stan Horazek|September 15, 2020|Popular-Science
In the face of intense pressure to produce the rushed Salk vaccine, Merck was the only involved company to withdraw from the flawed national rollout.
On COVID-19 vaccines, Big Pharma knows to just say ‘no’|matthewheimer|September 11, 2020|Fortune

Such homes offer support beyond traditional foster homes for families caring for children with intense mental health needs.
Hundreds of Children Are Stuck in Psychiatric Hospitals Each Year Despite the State’s Promises to Find Them Homes|by Duaa Eldeib|September 11, 2020|ProPublica
A lot of your reflections on the classics are pretty intense, have you ever thought about being a film critic?
Patton Oswalt on Fighting Conservatives With Satire|William O’Connor|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
During the intense firefight that followed, four Kurdish fighters died, including three of Ahmed's cousins.
The Brothers Who Ambushed ISIS|Mohammed A. Salih|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What she did win, though, was the ever-more intense ardor of her growing number of liberal fans.
The Most Powerful Democrat in America|Michael Tomasky|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The relationship between you and your fans, you say, is intense, particularly over social media.
Portrait of the Austin Mahone as a Teen Idol|William O’Connor|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Our pain is our own and it's no less intense or painful that he had lost someone he loved that what I was going through.
Blogger Shares and Shames Cancer in ‘Lily’|Amy Grantham|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He couldn't sell them; he couldn't burn them; he was even compelled to insure them, to his intense disgust.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Feeling secure regarding their happiness and welfare, she did not miss them except with an occasional intense longing.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
In these archipelagos the waters being shallow, the frost was quite intense enough to cool them to the bottom.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
And now everybody turned out with a feeling of intense relief to witness the rejoicings on the village green.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
There was no moon, and the trees bordering both sides of the way made the darkness intense.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for intense

intense

/ (ɪnˈtɛns) /

adjective

of extreme force, strength, degree, or amountintense heat

characterized by deep or forceful feelingsan intense person

Derived forms of intense

intensely, adverbintenseness, noun

Word Origin for intense

C14: from Latin intensus stretched, from intendere to stretch out; see intend

usage for intense

Intense is sometimes wrongly used where intensive is meant: the land is under intensive (not intense) cultivation. Intensely is sometimes wrongly used where intently is meant: he listened intently (not intensely)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

intense

OTHER WORDS FOR intense

Origin of intense

OTHER WORDS FROM intense

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH intense

Words nearby intense

Words related to intense

How to use intense in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for intense

Derived forms of intense

Word Origin for intense

usage for intense