intense Meaning & Definition
What Does Intense Mean?
As an adjective, intense means Of a characteristic: extreme or very high or strong in degree; severe; also, excessive, towering. It is also used to mean Of a thing: possessing some characteristic to an extreme or very high or strong degree.
Intense at a Glance
| Part of speech | adjective |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ɪnˈtɛns/ |
| Synonyms | profound, vehement and keen |
| Antonyms | mild |
| Comparative / superlative | intenser, intensest |
Intense Definition (Adjective)
- Of a characteristic: extreme or very high or strong in degree; severe; also, excessive, towering.
- Of a thing: possessing some characteristic to an extreme or very high or strong degree.
- Of feelings, thoughts, etc.: strongly focused; ardent, deep, earnest, passionate.
intense study
- Of a person: very emotional or passionate.
The artist was a small, intense man with piercing blue eyes.
- Under tension; tightly drawn; strained, stressed, tense.
Adjective
- Strained; tightly drawn.
- Strict, very close or earnest.
intense study; intense thought
- Extreme in degree; excessive.
- Extreme in size or strength.
- Stressful and tiring.
- Very severe.
- Very emotional or passionate.
The artist was a small, intense man with piercing blue eyes.
Synonyms of Intense
Antonyms of Intense
Intense in a Sentence
intense study
intense thought
The artist was a small, intense man with piercing blue eyes.
intense study; intense thought
Word Forms & Grammar
intense (comparative intenser or more intense, superlative intensest or most intense)
Words That Rhyme With Intense
Origin of Intense
From Late Middle English intens, intense (“ardent, fervent; extreme, great, intense”),[1] borrowed from Old French intense (modern French intense), or directly from its etymon Latin intēnsus (“strained, stretched tight; intense; attentive; violent; (rare) eager, intent”), the perfect passive participle of intendō (“to stretch out, strain”),[2] from in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside, within’) + tendō (“to extend, stretch”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tend- (“to extend, stretch”)).
Frequently Asked Questions About Intense
What part of speech is intense?
Intense is an adjective.
What is another word for intense?
Words with a similar meaning to intense include profound, vehement and keen. See the full list of intense synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of intense?
The opposite of intense is mild.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of intense?
The comparative form is intenser and the superlative form is intensest.