intense
- 1Very strong, great, or severe in amount or degree.
Like turning a dial all the way up, so the heat or noise is at its strongest.
The intense heat made it hard to breathe.
The pain in his knee grew so intense that he had to stop walking.
Similarextreme, fierce, severe, acute, powerful
Oppositemild, moderate, slight
Note
- 2
- 3Used about feelings or thoughts that are very strong and deeply felt.
Like a flashlight beam that is narrow and bright, all aimed at one spot.
She felt an intense longing to see her family again.
His intense concentration kept him at the desk for hours.
Similardeep, profound, passionate, ardent, fervent
Oppositemild, slight, superficial
Note
- 4Describes a person who shows very strong feelings about things.
Like a friend who feels everything strongly and never does anything halfway.
Her brother is an intense person who throws himself into every project.
The new coach is so intense that the players find practice exhausting.
Similarpassionate, earnest, emotional, fervent, serious
Oppositeeasygoing, relaxed, placid
Note
- 5Stretched tight, or full of strain and stress.
Like a rope pulled so tight that it might snap at any moment.
An intense silence filled the room as everyone waited for the answer.
The standoff left relations between the two families intense and fragile.
Similartense, strained, fraught, heated, charged
Note
Practice
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Origin
It came through Old French from Latin intēnsus meaning "stretched tight," from a verb meaning "to stretch out."