intensify
Americanverb (used with object)
-
intensifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
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)
-
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
-
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
-
intensifiedsimple
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had intensifiedperfect
-
was intensifyingprogressive
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were intensifyingprogressive
-
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 German official said Tuesday that Berlin would send fresh air-defense batteries and thousands of strike drones to Ukraine and intensify its intelligence cooperation with Kyiv.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
The concept of choosing time over money diminishes for mothers who feel unable to pause their careers, even when personal or caregiving demands intensify.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
They can provide storms with extra moisture and energy, and can intensify heatwaves on land in some coastal regions by reducing the cooling effect of sea breezes.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
“In response, we will intensify our voter outreach and educational initiatives to ensure individuals are fully informed and aware of any adjustments to the voting process.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
To have even a hope of achieving this, the railroads would have to reduce their fares, and Frank Millet would have to intensify his efforts to attract people from all corners of the country.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Finding new markets has also become more imperative as competition among local and foreign companies intensifies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
But he admitted he worries what might happen if the campaign intensifies.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
The fact that no one made it, that it’s the creation of a machine that hallucinates in exchange for electricity, only intensifies the sick, empty feeling the track leaves behind.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
Fifa president Gianni Infantino will meet with senior leaders of football's world governing body on Wednesday as criticism of his now scrapped plan to sell off Fifa's commercial and event operations intensifies.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
“The poison intensifies over time. What good will you be to the Immortal if you are dead?”
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
For Janett, the urge to give something back intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
The couple was so excited they intensified their workouts to build up fitness and aerobic capacity for the tour, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
The expulsions from Pakistan and alleged abuse intensified after a major escalation in fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan last October.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Criticism intensified after Germany, like elsewhere in Europe, faced a summer of droughts and heatwaves.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
Despite increasing committee interference and intensified conflict between Burnham and Director-General Davis, and with the threat of labor strikes ever present, the main buildings rose.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
The city is in in talks with five large Chinese companies about setting up operations in the city, according to people close to the negotiations, with interest intensifying since the first round of U.S. tariffs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
In the last few years, multiple studies have shown that global warming is intensifying drought and worsening water scarcity in California and the western United States.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Smoke particles scattered even more of the remaining blue wavelengths, intensifying the golden tones in the visible light surrounding the eclipsed Sun.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
Taipei's announcement comes as governments around the world boost defence spending in the face of intensifying conflicts, and growing concern about US commitment to the Asia-Pacific region.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
The serious, systematic study of medicine was intensifying, and to scientists the human body was like the polar icecap, something to be studied and explored.
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.
