intensity

[ in-ten-si-tee ]

/ ɪnˈtɛn sɪ ti /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR intensity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural in·ten·si·ties.

the quality or condition of being intense.

great energy, strength, concentration, vehemence, etc., as of activity, thought, or feeling: He went at the job with great intensity.

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

the degree or extent to which something is intense.

a high degree of emotional excitement; depth of feeling: The poem lacked intensity and left me unmoved.

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

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

Speech.

the correlate of physical energy and the degree of loudness of a speech sound.
the relative carrying power of vocal utterance.

Nearby words

Origin of intensity

First recorded in 1655–65; intense + -ity

SYNONYMS FOR intensity

5. passion, emotion, energy, vigor.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR intensity ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formso·ver·in·ten·si·ty, nounsu·per·in·ten·si·ty, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for intensity

He was just seamlessly being this person—the ferocity and intensity was incredible.
The Brit Who Stormed Broadway|Tim Teeman|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Amina Alzouma (“Young Girl”) surprised us all with her disturbingly beautiful displays of vulnerability and intensity.
Nitehawk Shorts Festival: ‘Brute,’ a Twisted Take on Playing in the Dark|Julia Grinberg|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“You are bringing someone into an atmosphere of intensity, and adding a lot of pressure to a first-time meeting,” says Berman.
How to Make It Through Thanksgiving Alive|Lizzie Crocker|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The intensity of the airstrikes needs to reflect that urgency.
Drone ‘Shortage’ Hampers ISIS War|Dave Majumdar|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The story is simple and one that belies the intensity of the conflict.
Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban Valley|Matt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The intensity of human affection varies inversely as its extension.
Expositions of Holy Scripture|Alexander Maclaren
Judith was awed by the intensity of passion in the man, but not changed in her purpose.
In the Roar of the Sea|Sabine Baring-Gould
His shaking voice and the intensity of his speech made Hertha unconsciously draw away.
The Shadow|Mary White Ovington
Lupin prayed for it with all his strength, with all the intensity of his incited nerves!
Arsne Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes|Maurice LeBlanc
This has that charm and every little quality has that intensity.
Geography and Plays|Gertrude Stein

British Dictionary definitions for intensity

intensity

/ (ɪnˈtɛnsɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the state or quality of being intense

extreme force, degree, or amount

physics

a measure of field strength or of the energy transmitted by radiationSee radiant intensity, luminous intensity
(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 directionSymbol: I

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 scaleSee Mercalli scale, Richter scale

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

Word Origin and History for intensity