Adjacent Words

Intense definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

INTENSE, a. intens'. [L. intensus, from intendo, to stretch.]
1. Literally, strained, stretched; hence, very close, strict,as when the mind is fixed or bent on a particular subject; as, intense study or application; intense thought.
2. Raised to a high degree; violent; vehement; as intense heat.
3. Very severe or keen; as intense cold.
4. Vehement; ardent; as intense phrases in language.
5. Extreme in degree.
The doctrine of the atonement supposes that the sins of men were so laid on Christ, that his sufferings were inconceivably intense and overwhelming.
6. Kept on the stretch; anxiously attentive; opposed to remiss.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree; "intense heat"; "intense anxiety"; "intense desire"; "intense emotion"; "the skunk's intense acrid odor"; "intense pain"; "enemy fire was intense" [ant: mild]
2: extremely sharp or intense; "acute pain"; "felt acute annoyance"; "intense itching and burning" [syn: acute, intense]
3: (of color) having the highest saturation; "vivid green"; "intense blue" [syn: intense, vivid]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin intensus, from past participle of intendere to stretch out Date: 15th century 1. a. existing in an extreme degree <the excitement was intense> <intense pain> b. having or showing a characteristic in extreme degree <intense colors> 2. marked by or expressive of great zeal, energy, determination, or concentration <intense effort> 3. a. exhibiting strong feeling or earnestness of purpose <an intense student> b. deeply felt • intensely adverb • intenseness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. (intenser, intensest) 1 (of a quality etc.) existing in a high degree; violent; forceful (intense cold). 2 (of a person) feeling, or apt to feel, strong emotion (very intense about her music). 3 (of a feeling or action etc.) extreme (intense joy; intense thought). Derivatives: intensely adv. intenseness n. Etymology: ME f. OF intens or L intensus (as INTEND)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Intense In*tense", a. [L. intensus stretched, tight, p. p. of intendere to stretch: cf. F. intense. See Intend, and cf. Intent, and cf. Intent, a.] 1. Strained; tightly drawn; kept on the stretch; strict; very close or earnest; as, intense study or application; intense thought. 2. 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. In this intense seclusion of the forest. --Hawthorne.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. Intense is used to describe something that is very great or extreme in strength or degree. He was sweating from the intense heat... His threats become more intense, agitated, and frequent. ADJ • intensely The fast-food business is intensely competitive. ADV • intensity (intensities) The attack was anticipated but its intensity came as a shock. N-VAR: usu with poss 2. If you describe an activity as intense, you mean that it is very serious and concentrated, and often involves doing a great deal in a short time. The battle for third place was intense... ADJ 3. If you describe the way someone looks at you as intense, you mean that they look at you very directly and seem to know what you are thinking or feeling. I felt so self-conscious under Luke's mother's intense gaze... = piercing ADJ • intensely He sipped his drink, staring intensely at me. ADV: ADV with v 4. If you describe a person as intense, you mean that they appear to concentrate very hard on everything that they do, and they feel and show their emotions in a very extreme way. I know he's an intense player, but he does enjoy what he's doing... ADJ • intensity His intensity and the ferocity of his feelings alarmed me.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Close, strict, intent, severe, strained, stretched. 2. Extreme, very great, of high or great degree. 3. Forcible, energetic, vigorous, powerful. 4. Ardent, vehement, earnest.

Moby Thesaurus

abandoned, ablaze, accentuated, active, acute, advertent, afire, aggravated, aggressive, agog, alert, all ears, all eyes, animated, ardent, assiduous, attentive, aware, boiling over, breathless, bright, bright-hued, brilliant, brisk, burning, careful, colorful, colory, committed, comprehensive, concentrated, conscious, consequential, considerable, consuming, cordial, cutting, deafening, dedicated, deep, deep-colored, delirious, desperate, devoted, devout, diligent, drastic, drunk, dynamic, eager, earnest, emotional, emphasized, energetic, enhanced, enterprising, enthusiastic, excessive, excited, excruciating, exhaustive, exorbitant, exotic, exquisite, extravagant, extreme, exuberant, faithful, fanatical, febrile, fervent, fervid, fevered, feverish, fierce, fiery, finical, finicking, finicky, flaming, flushed, forceful, forcible, frantic, frenzied, full, full of pep, furious, gay, gay-colored, glowing, go-go, gorgeous, grand, grave, great, hard, harsh, heartfelt, hearty, heated, heavy, heedful, heightened, high-colored, high-spirited, hot, hot-blooded, hotheaded, hysterical, immoderate, impassioned, impetuous, impulsive, in earnest, incisive, intemperate, intensified, intent, intent on, intentive, intoxicated, irresistible, keen, kinetic, lively, living, loud, loyal, lusty, main, maximum, meticulous, mettlesome, mighty, mindful, nervous, nice, niggling, observant, observing, on fire, on the ball, on the job, open-eared, open-eyed, openmouthed, outrageous, passionate, penetrating, peppy, perfervid, piercing, plenary, poignant, powerful, profound, pungent, red-hot, reeking, regardful, resolute, rich, rich-colored, rigorous, robust, rough, serious, severe, sharp, sincere, smacking, snappy, spanking, spirited, splitting, steaming, steamy, strenuous, stressed, strong, take-charge, take-over, temperamental, tense, terrible, testy, thundering, total, touchy, tough, trenchant, unconscionable, unrestrained, uptight, vehement, venomous, vibrant, vicious, vigorous, violent, virulent, vivacious, vivid, volatile, warm, watchful, white-hot, zealous, zestful, zesty, zippy