intensity

[ in-ten-si-tee ]

noun

, plural in·ten·si·ties.

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.

intensity

/ 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. (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 I
4. Also calledearthquake 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

Other Words From

• over·in·tensi·ty noun
• super·in·tensi·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of intensity¹

First recorded in 1655–65; intense + -ity

Example Sentences

It took Washington a month to stop carrying the intensity of the performance with him throughout the day, every day, but in the end, “It was a life-changing experience,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times

Edwards beat Yafai when they met as amateurs in 2015 but was unable to match the intensity of his opponent in the Midlands.

From BBC

Once I discovered the intensity of this delicious business I was hooked.

From Salon

While not unprecedented, the scale and intensity of the current crackdown in Addis Ababa is significant, with hundreds reportedly detained in recent weeks.

From BBC

Since 8 October, Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire with increasing intensity.

From BBC

Related Words

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