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 of intently

• 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

These clashes may be especially heated in the age of intensive parenting, in which some parents intently monitor not only their kids but also anyone who spends time with them—grandparents included. —Rheana Murray, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025

No one with such hazel eyes had looked at me so intently in a very long time. —Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025

The line is intently autobiographical. —David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 21 Nov. 2025

Not content to knock you down by rearranging her songwriting with radically different parts and references than querer or Motomami dared, Rosalía works every bit as intently with shock and humor. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for intently

• gently