Meaning & use
intensely
Last updated
Meanings
adverbnot comparable
In a very strong way, with great force, depth or concentration of feeling or effort.
Grammar: Often modifies a feeling or adjective: intensely jealous, or a verb: she stared intensely.
Patterns
- intensely + adjective
- verb + intensely
The two teams intensely disliked each other after last season's final.
She listened intensely while the doctor explained the results.
The sun felt intensely hot on the bare rock.
adverbnot comparable
In a serious, earnest way that suggests deep involvement and little lightness.
Grammar: Describes manner, often with look, stare or speak: he spoke intensely.
Patterns
- look intensely at someone
- speak intensely about something
The young pianist stared intensely at the keys before she began.
He argued intensely for a change in the schedule.
Everyone in the audience watched intensely as the magician reached into the box.
Common combinations
- intensely competitive
- The market for smartphones is intensely competitive.
- intensely personal
- Her diary was an intensely personal record of that year.
- intensely curious
- The children were intensely curious about the old tower.
- stare intensely
- The cat stared intensely at the bird outside.
- intensely proud
- Their parents were intensely proud of them.
Synonyms and how they differ
- deeply
- Deeply is gentler and fits emotions like regret, while intensely suggests more heat or force.
- fiercely
- Fiercely carries a sense of aggression or fight, which intensely does not necessarily have.
- extremely
- Extremely only raises the degree, whereas intensely adds a feeling of concentrated strength.
- passionately
- Passionately implies warm enthusiasm, while intensely can also describe cold or anxious focus.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: intensely or intently?
intensely vs intently
Intently means with fixed attention, as in listening intently, while intensely describes strength of feeling or degree.
Practice
Which word best completes the sentence: 'The goalkeeper was ______ focused, ignoring the noise of the crowd.'?
Choose one answer.
Intensely expresses a very high degree of focus; the other options suggest weak or careless attention, which clashes with ignoring the crowd.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “intensely”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.