Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to an extreme degree: the intense sun of the tropics.
- adj. Extreme in degree, strength, or size: intense heat.
- adj. Involving or showing strain or extreme effort: intense concentration.
- adj. Deeply felt; profound: intense emotion.
- adj. Tending to feel deeply: an intense writer.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Existing in or having a high degree; strong; powerful: as, intense pain; intense activity; hence, extreme or absolute of its kind; having its characteristic qualities in a high degree.
- Exhibiting a high degree of some quality or action.
- Susceptible to strong emotion; emotional.
- In photography, same as dense, 3.
Wiktionary
- adj. Strained; tightly drawn; kept on the stretch; strict; very close or earnest; as, intense study or application; intense thought.
- adj. Extreme in degree; excessive; immoderate; as: (a) Ardent; fervent; as, intense heat. (b) Keen; biting; as, intense cold. (c) Vehement; earnest; exceedingly strong; as, intense passion or hate. (d) Very severe; violent; as, intense pain or anguish. (e) Deep; strong; brilliant; as, intense color or light.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Strained; tightly drawn; kept on the stretch; strict; very close or earnest
- adj. Extreme in degree; excessive; immoderate.
- adj. Ardent; fervent.
- adj. Keen; biting.
- adj. Vehement; earnest; exceedingly strong.
- adj. Very severe; violent.
- adj. Deep; strong; brilliant.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
- adj. extremely sharp or intense
- adj. (of color) having the highest saturation
Etymologies
- From Middle French intense, from Latin intensus ("stretched tight"), past participle of intendere ("to stretch out"), from in ("in, upon, to") + tendere ("to stretch"). (Wiktionary)
- Middle English, from Old French, from Latin intēnsus, stretched, intent, from past participle of intendere, to stretch, intend; see intend. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Gamers experience "urgent optimism," which she describes as the intense desire to achieve something combined with the unwavering belief that anything is possible.”
The Huffington Post: Craig and Marc Kielburger: Playing Video Games for Social Change
“She leads viewers so far then abandons them to wander and wonder in areas of what she calls "intense unknowability".”
“They traveled to the DRC last month and are trying to draw attention to what they call the intense suffering of the Congolese people.”
Voice of America: Actor, Activist Ben Affleck Urges US to Help DRC
“Some former aides bristled at what they called her intense focus on building her public image.”
The Wall Street Journal: Behind a GOP Contender's Iowa Surge
“Cee Cee expected Max to recoil, but he pulled Oscar into an easy embrace and just held him, his eyes closed, his expression intense.”
“While drawing blood and trying to revive her, six ER workers got sick after smelling what they described as intense ammonia-like fumes from Ramirez.”
“Tuesday, D.A. Lacy defended the decision to arrest Karr despite what she called intense criticism that she be “tarred and feathered.””
“Gerard said, sitting forward in his chair, his expression intense.”
“Massive grapefruit-level swelling and discoloration, and what she described as intense burning from toxins.”
“And, after two days of what he described as intense house-to-house fighting, their young commander made this pronouncement.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘intense’.
-
CULI - wine-tasting adjectives
In this area of expertise nouns are frequently used as adjectives (almond, bacon, cider, diesel, fennel, fresh-cut hay, wool) or new adjectives are formed (appley, berrylike, citrusy, full-bodied, ...
acetic, acidic, aged, angular, appley, astringent, attractive, austere, berrylike, big, bitter, brawny and 511 more...
-
EN - academic vocabulary
Use these and get promoted
abandon, abandonment, abnormally, abstract, abstraction, abstractly, abstracts, academia, academic, academically, academics, academies and 3119 more...
-
Tati's list
comfortable
comfortable, avocado, avoid, beautiful, beer, bear, brief, breath, bug, bias, burn, case and 97 more...
-
bbc uk china vocab.
conservationists, estimate, threats, infertility, eating away at, endangered, furry, panel, in trouble, gongs, triumphed, caps and 1007 more...
-
Unknown
coalition, cabinet, tweet, defuse, steep, ancestral, mindset, breach, infraction, egregious, curb, backbite and 282 more...
-
Fauvism
Words to describe art of the fauvist movement
wild, beast, color, fauve, fauvism, fauvist, avant garde, floating, violent, outrageous, radical, dynamite and 82 more...
-
Overwhelming
Descriptive, emotional, powerful words.
fantastic, great, spectacular, wonderful, delightful, amazing, magnificent, inspiring, intense, brilliant, blatant, hilarious and 2 more...
-
Riley's list
Adjectives to describe Riley.
amazing, awesome, smart, nice, modest, genius, intense, the best, great, suave, narcissistic
-
the indelible ink of personality
nefarious, mischievious, bawdy, intense, blunt, steadfast, succulent, edible, nature, creature, truth, touch and 28 more...
-
TECH - Steve Jobs
visionary, redefine, digital, founder, era, computer, cultural, product, global, gaunt, frail, executive and 76 more...
-
The Medley of Me
A jumble of words, sometimes contradictory, that add up to me. I'll probably be adding to this list for some time, because I'm a very complex individual. ;P
male, long-haired, big-eyed, writer, artist, guitarist, songsmith, talespinner, pilot, wannabe barnstormer, gypsy, cuddlesome and 209 more...
-
Holli
Cancer, Mercury, water, moon, dark, emotion, nostalgia, angst, brooding, isolation, shadow, corner and 145 more...
-
Twitter favourites
The new favourite words of people on Twitter.
A script searches Twitter for "X is my new favourite word" and adds it to this list.
See also:
bumwank, calamity, recalcitrant, gayenese, jeeze, nonsense, flabbergasted, juxtapose, procrastinating, ossanity, biffing, loser and 1972 more... -
Twitter favorites
The new favourite words of people on Twitter.
A script searches Twitter for "X is my new favorite word" and adds it to this list.
See also:
grabbable, retuiteando, leaving, fantastic, absolutely, kurwa, hella, ridic, underpass, hate, interlude, plush and 2369 more... -
eggplantia5's Words
scintillate, marvel, cranberry, oscillate, triumph, bamboozle, grimace, magical, book, hexagon, cipher, compendium and 2727 more...
-
Descriptive
The present, the future. Goals, wishes, hopes.
capricious, sericeous, sleek, flawless, charming, skilled, long-haired, versatile, beautiful, witty, fair, thin and 145 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for intense.
rolig *Chuckling* Thanks for the smiles. Apr 2, 2009
dontcry Patient: I'm a wig-wam. I'm a tee-pee.
Doctor: Relax. You're two tents. Apr 2, 2009
plethora I see what you did there. Apr 2, 2009
bilby My last camping trip was intense. Apr 2, 2009