- very great; very strong synonym extreme
- We were all suffering in the intense heat.
- intense cold/pain
- They watched with intense interest.
- intense pleasure/desire/anger
- The President is under intense pressure to resign.
- His business affairs have been under intense scrutiny.
- He was startled by the intense blue of her eyes.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- become
- get
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
Definitions on the go
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- serious and often involving a lot of action in a short period of time
- There is intense competition for the top jobs.
- It was a period of intense activity.
Which Word? intense / intensiveintense / intensiveBoth these words can describe something that involves a lot of action in a short period of time.- Intense can often suggest somebody's feelings about the thing being described:
- The course was really intense—I found it difficult to wind down at the end of each day.
- Intensive gives a more objective description:
- The five-day intensive course runs from 24 to 28 July.
Extra Examples- There has been intense speculation about divisions in the party.
- It was a period of intense debate.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- become
- get
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- having or showing very strong feelings, opinions or thoughts about somebody/something
- an intense look
- She's very intense about everything.
Extra Examples- He was a softly-spoken, intense man.
- She met his intense gaze.
- There was an intense relationship between mother and son.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- become
- get
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
compare intensive
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin intensus ‘stretched tightly, strained’, past participle of intendere ‘intend, extend, direct’, from in- ‘towards’ + tendere ‘stretch, tend’.
Check pronunciation:
intense