intensely

[in-tens-lee]

adverb

1. to a high or extreme degree.

   Many ingredients are rolled into this intensely flavorful and very versatile curry paste.

2. (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.

3. 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

• hyperintensely adverb
• overintensely adverb
• superintensely adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of intensely¹

intense ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

He followed it with a succession of intensely theatrical divertissements, often revolving around unexpected intellectual conceits or bizarre juxtapositions and featuring brilliant dialogue, puns, repartee, double meanings and misunderstandings.

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The marine industry is intensely regulated but the certification authorities are having to keep pace with innovation.

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But its entry into the intensely technical, machine-governed world of anaesthesia marks a quiet shift.

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Coaches say she trained intensely because she felt she had joined "late".

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She grew intensely lonely, and eventually began refusing food.

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Related Words

• fiercely 
• profoundly 
• strongly 
• vehemently 
• very