intensity

American  

[in-ten-si-tee] / ɪnˈtɛn sɪ ti /

noun

plural

intensities

1. the quality or condition of being intense.

2. great energy, strength, concentration, vehemence, etc., as of activity, thought, or feeling.

   He went at the job with great intensity.

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

4. the degree or extent to which something is intense.

5. a high degree of emotional excitement; depth of feeling.

   The poem lacked intensity and left me unmoved.

   Synonyms:

   vigor, energy, emotion, passion

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

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

8. Speech.

   1. the correlate of physical energy and the degree of loudness of a speech sound.

   2. the relative carrying power of vocal utterance.

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intensity British  

/ ɪnˈtɛnsɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being intense

2. extreme force, degree, or amount

3. physics

   1. a measure of field strength or of the energy transmitted by radiation See radiant intensity luminous intensity

   2.  I.  (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 direction

4. 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 scale See Mercalli scale Richter scale

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Other Word Forms

• overintensity noun
• superintensity noun

Etymology

Origin of intensity

First recorded in 1655–65; intense + -ity

Example Sentences

Thursday: Rain continues on Christmas Day, but with less intensity in the afternoon and evening.

From Los Angeles Times

These rapid bursts led many researchers to think dopamine directly controlled movement intensity.

From Science Daily

Unable to handle Newcastle's intensity, Chelsea fell further behind in the 20th minute.

From Barron's

In terms of dedication, passion, you know - the session he gives and the intensity he gives, how much he gets involved.

From BBC

Dubois increased the intensity in the closing stages, varying her work by mixing jabs and uppercuts, while a marked-up Panatta had few answers as the champion comfortably closed out the final rounds.

From BBC

Related Words

• anxiety
• concentration
• depth
• earnestness
• emotion
• energy
• excitement
• ferocity
• fervor
• fury
• magnitude
• power
• severity
• strength
• tension
• vigor