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

The intensity is meant to stay tolerable, but it can get unpleasant if pushed too high.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The researchers also found that intensity played a larger role for certain diseases.

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

They ratcheted up the intensity so much it spread into the stands, where the largely pro-Bruins crowd of 9,627 cheered deliriously.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

Horror is filled with trend-hopping and mimicry — the genre itself holds a mirror to our cultural anxieties, replicating them with chilling, hyperbolic intensity.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

Paul may have been small and delicate physically, but she had an intensity and passion for her work that those around her found inspiring.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Related Words

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