intensify
Americanverb (used with object)
-
intensifies,
present (3rd person singular)
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intensified,
past participle, past
-
intensifying
present participle
-
to make intense or more intense.
- Synonyms:
- concentrate, quicken, deepen
-
to make more acute; strengthen or sharpen.
- Synonyms:
- concentrate, quicken, deepen
-
Photography. to increase the density and contrast of (a negative) chemically.
verb (used without object)
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intensifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
intensified,
past participle, past
-
intensifying
present participle
verb
-
to make or become intense or more intense
-
(tr) to increase the density of (a photographic film or plate)
Synonym Usage
See aggravate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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intensificationnoun
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overintensificationnoun
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de-intensifyverb
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overintensifyverb
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self-intensifiedadjective
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self-intensifyingadjective
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unintensifiedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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intensifysimple
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intensifiessimple
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have intensifiedperfect
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has intensifiedperfect
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am intensifyingprogressive
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are intensifyingprogressive
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is intensifyingprogressive
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have been intensifyingperfect progressive
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has been intensifyingperfect progressive
Past
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intensifiedsimple
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had intensifiedperfect
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was intensifyingprogressive
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were intensifyingprogressive
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had been intensifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of intensify
Explanation
To intensify is to increase the intensity, force, or power of something. If you snap a selfie and the colors aren't intense enough, you may be able to intensify them with a photo editor. You can see the word "intense" in intensify, which clues you in to the meaning of the verb. When you make something more intense, you intensify it — make it more of whatever it is. Believe it or not, a pinch of salt can actually intensify the sweetness of the sugar in a cake. It makes it even sweeter. Storm chasers never know whether a tornado will continue to intensify or begin to abate as they approach — and the difference could mean life or death for them.
Vocabulary lists containing intensify
Power Suffix: -fy
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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.
See Examples For:
A colder winter, weaker wind generation or stronger Chinese buying could intensify competition for LNG cargoes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
According to Zelensky, one of the "key targets" of the attack was the country's energy infrastructure, which Moscow earlier said it would intensify strikes on following Ukraine's strikes on Moscow's energy facilities.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Long periods of elevated water temperatures can intensify other environmental pressures, including low oxygen conditions and harmful algal blooms.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
“As U.S. diesel stocks near storage limits, downward pressure on diesel prices would intensify, compressing U.S. refining margins, and likely incentivize U.S. refiners to reduce output,” the team wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
I encouraged the people to return to the barricades, to intensify the struggle, and we would walk the last mile together.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
But if the war intensifies before mid-November, those races will have to be cancelled.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
As the music intensifies, so does the questioning, as Fielder continues to push Holmes and Evans about what’s real and what’s being hidden from him as moodily lighted close-up shots flash.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
“Thus, if disruptions persist into spring 2027 or oil infrastructure damage intensifies, ICE Brent front month contracts may have to spike well above $150/bbl to curb global oil demand.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Economic forecasts for the coming months continue to be grim as fighting in the Middle East intensifies.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
“To speak of the curse only intensifies the curse.”
From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo
The storm has intensified and is expected to make landfall on the northern Gulf Coast on Friday or early Saturday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
The correction in Indian stocks has, in fact, only intensified in recent weeks.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Since then, fighting has intensified with the Houthis launching a lightning offensive in which they seized control of coastal regions along the Bab al-Mandab strait.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
Oil prices had been falling before the announcement and losses intensified after it.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
Then things really intensified when Singleton took over the questions.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
An intensifying El Nino broke a temperature record in a key zone of the Pacific in September, the EU's climate monitor said Monday, in another sign the weather pattern is gaining exceptional strength.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
"The number of school closures is falling," with 96.5 percent of schools open on Monday, yet "the violence is intensifying", it said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
However, BOC Hong Kong’s net interest margin may have narrowed by 2 bps on quarter, due to higher funding costs amid intensifying deposit competition before rate hikes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Climate experts have warned that the 2026-2027 El Niño is likely to cause major shifts in weather patterns around the world, intensifying droughts in some areas and floods in others.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The resulting hole evoked a giant grave and exuded the same musty chill, but this was not unwelcome for it provided workers with relief from the intensifying summer heat.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
