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Meaning & use

intense emotions

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ɪnˌtens ɪˈməʊʃənz/
US/ɪnˌtens ɪˈmoʊʃənz/

Meanings

  1. phraseplural

    very strong feelings, such as great love, anger, fear, or sadness, that are felt powerfully.

    Grammar: Always plural and usually used with a plural verb: Intense emotions were running high. For one feeling, say an intense emotion.

    Patterns

    • feel intense emotions
    • express intense emotions
    • intense emotions about something
    • a rush of intense emotions

    She felt intense emotions when she heard the news of her brother's accident.

    The film shows how soldiers deal with intense emotions after returning home.

    His voice shook with intense emotions as he said goodbye.

  2. phraseplural

    strong feelings that are difficult to control, especially in a particular situation or relationship.

    Grammar: Often used with verbs like handle, manage, or cope with: He finds it hard to handle intense emotions.

    Patterns

    • handle intense emotions
    • cope with intense emotions
    • manage intense emotions

    Teenagers often struggle to cope with intense emotions during exams.

    The therapist taught him ways to manage intense emotions without shouting.

    Learning to handle intense emotions takes practice and patience.

Common combinations

feel intense emotions
Many people feel intense emotions when they listen to certain songs.
express intense emotions
Art can help children express intense emotions they cannot put into words.
intense emotions about something
He has intense emotions about his childhood home.
a wave of intense emotions
A wave of intense emotions washed over her as she opened the letter.
deal with intense emotions
Nurses learn how to deal with intense emotions at work.

Synonyms and how they differ

strong feelings
A more general and slightly less formal way to say the same thing; it can describe both positive and negative emotions.
passion
Usually suggests very strong positive feelings like love or enthusiasm, not anger or fear.
deep emotions
Focuses on how far inside a person the feelings are, rather than how powerful they are.

Opposites

calmnessindifference

Word family

intensely adverb
In a very strong or extreme way: She felt intensely happy.
intensity noun
The quality of being very strong or extreme: the intensity of his anger.
emotion noun
A single feeling such as love, anger, or fear.
emotional adjective
Relating to feelings, or showing strong feelings.

Commonly confused: intense emotions or intensive?

intense emotions vs intensive

Intensive means involving a lot of effort or activity in a short time (an intensive course). Intense describes something very strong, like a feeling or a color.

Practice

She couldn't hide the ______ she felt when she saw the damage.

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