intensity

American  

[in-ten-si-tee] / ɪnˈtɛn sɪ ti /

noun

intensities plural

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

Derived Forms

• overintensity
  noun
• superintensity
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• intensities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of intensity

First recorded in 1655–65; intense + -ity

Explanation

The way he stared deep into her eyes was making her uncomfortable. For a first date, this was too much intensity. Intensity is the degree, volume, or magnitude of a thing, such as fire, emotion, weather, work, or passion. Intensity is a word sometimes associated with passion, fire, and violence. It's used when discussing the level of such things as a love affair or, perhaps, a flame. For example, the intensity of the relationship between Bergman and Bogart in Casablanca was very high. Likewise, meteorologists measure the intensity of tornados on the Fujita Scale. Some things are meant to show intensity, such as performance by a great musician. Other things, such as, say, a blanket...not so much.

Example Sentences

One involved the Bezold- Brücke effect, a phenomenon in which changing light intensity can make a color appear to shift in hue.

From Science Daily • Jun. 7, 2026

They were falling in love with each other and figuring out what that dynamic was and having those misfirings and miscommunications and moments of intensity and questioning.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

The WMO said there was no evidence that climate change increases the frequency or intensity of El Nino events.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

Our warming climate has pushed average temperatures in the UK up by around 1.2C compared to pre-industrial times, and this has meant a large increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

“Faithless creature,” Oriana says, looking at me as though through the sheer intensity of her gaze she might ferret out my secrets.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Related Words

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