intently

adverb

in·​tent·​ly in-ˈtent-lē 

: in an intent or concentrated manner : with great effort, attention, or concentration

Their eyes, when they look at you and listen intently, focus like laser beams.

—Molly Haskell

He turned back to face her again and stared at her most intently.

—Robert C. O'Brien

Synonyms

• hard
• intensively
• intensely
• diligently
• resolutely
• determinedly
• continuously
• doggedly
• arduously
• assiduously
• purposefully
• industriously

Examples of intently in a Sentence

intently studied his notes just before the exam

Recent Examples on the Web

Standing in the dock, wearing jeans and trainers, he could be seen listening intently as the case against him was set out and filling several pages of an A4 book with notes. —Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2025

At the July 22 Village Board meeting, village trustees listened intently to a presentation about e-bikes, their historical use in the village, gaining popularity, at least one resident’s concerns about them and more. —Alan Kozeluh, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025

Two-time Broncos Super Bowl champion coach Mike Shanahan — the father of 49ers head coach Kyle — watched intently, switching between the San Francisco offense and Denver’s. —Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 7 Aug. 2025

It isn’t known how intently the Padres are listening to those calls regarding Cease. —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for intently

• gently