intense

[in-tens] / ɪnˈtɛns /

ADJECTIVE

forceful, severe; passionate

Synonyms

STRONGEST

acute bitter deep energetic excessive extraordinary extreme fierce great harsh heightened intensified intensive powerful profound protracted sharp strong violent vivid

WEAK

agonizing all-consuming ardent biting burning close concentrated consuming cutting diligent eager earnest exaggerated exceptional exquisite fanatical fervent fervid forcible full hard impassioned keen marked piercing pungent shrill stinging strained supreme undue vehement zealous

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aboveboard agreeable bland blunt calm dull gentle ignorant indistinct kind lazy low mild moderate nice pale peaceful shallow slow soft stupid superficial unimportant unintelligent weak

WEAK

low-key

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"The Bergstrom site presented a puzzle because it was used intermittently and abandoned when bison were common throughout the region and hunting was intense," Wendt explained.

From Science Daily • Jun. 11, 2026

And it was, I think, one of the most intense periods, more so than the shoot, even.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

Competition from rival Anthropic, whose Claude coding tool has been immensely successful since its launch in 2025, is intense.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026

Cancer drugs have been one of the hottest areas for the pharmaceutical industry, generating massive sales and fueling intense competition for deals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

Jack and Connor are up ahead, playing an intense round of “I Spy.”

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

Vocabulary lists containing intense

Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 4

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!