ENGLISH
REFERENCE

intense

adj.
US //ˌɪnˈtɛns// UK //ɪntˈɛns// in·tense
  1. 1 strong or extreme (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    very strong or extreme in degree, like heat, pain, or light.

    existing in an extreme degree; characterized by high force, power, or intensity of a physical or abstract quality.

    Example

    The heat from the desert sun was so intense that we had to stay indoors.

    Example

    The rescue team worked under intense pressure to reach the trapped miners before the oxygen supply became critically low.
  2. 2 deep feelings (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    showing very strong feelings, focus, or serious thought.

    characterized by strong emotional involvement, deep earnestness, or concentrated mental effort.

    Example

    They shared an intense love for classical music and spent every weekend at the opera.

    Example

    After months of intense study, the researchers finally identified the specific gene responsible for the mutation.
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  1. 3 serious personality (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    describing a person who has very strong opinions or emotions and takes things very seriously.

    describing an individual whose personality is marked by extreme earnestness, emotional depth, or a demanding nature.

    Example

    My new boss is very intense and expects everyone to work as hard as she does.

    Example

    He has an intense personality that some colleagues find intimidating, though no one questions his dedication to the project.
    • laid back
    • easygoing
Origin

From Late Middle English intens, intense (“ardent, fervent; extreme, great, intense”), 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”), from in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside, within’) + tendō (“to extend, stretch”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tend- (“to extend, stretch”)).

Word family

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