intense

adjective

in-ˈten(t)s How to pronounce intense (audio)
Definition of intensenext
1
as in intensive
extreme in degree, power, or effect the intense cold of the polar regions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in passionate
having or expressing great depth of feeling an intense actor who favors edgy film roles

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of intense In contrast, some discount the 1960s dates and consider the start to be 1972, when the ZANLA insurgency began a new, more intense level of guerrilla fighting. — Chinatsu Tsuji, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026 But production secretly cast Gina as well, running her through the same intense regimen of diet, exercise, dental work, and surgery meant to surprise Kari at the finale’s grand reveal. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026 Simmons faced intense scrutiny over his injury history, lack of perimeter shooting and commitment to the game while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets. — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2026 There were very intense tactics taken by the filmmaking team to not do that. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for intense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intense
  1. intensive
  2. passionate
  3. fierce
  4. warm
  5. ferocious
  6. passional
  7. deep
  8. fervent
Adjective
  • At research-intensive institutions, critical knowledge is often distributed across specialized offices, sponsor websites, internal guidance, prior submissions and experienced staff.
    — Mayank Kejriwal, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Removing the thermal drying stage could also make electrode manufacturing less capital- and energy-intensive.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of intensive
Adjective
  • Owners Hannah and Brandan Griffin are poets who are passionate about books and the Kansas City artistic community, according to the store’s website.
    — Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Macho Cowboy At the top of the pinnacle of power within the telenovela structure is the macho cowboy whose high emotional expressions of jealousy, anger, and confrontation are accepted as passionate acts of strength or romantic gestures.
    — Damaly Gonzalez, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of passionate
Adjective
  • The rare show of alignment among fierce rivals was soon countered by comments from Meta’s Zuckerberg and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, both of whom dismissed the slowdown idea.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The book and series focus on the complicated romance of Canadian hockey prodigy Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russian phenom Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), who are the fierce on-ice rivals and the league’s best players.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of fierce
Adjective
  • Expect a pan-European menu of pimientos de padron peppers, warm leek salad and a surprising tuna Milanese with fun twists like a wagyu sando.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Forecasters are warning about dangerous conditions at Southern California beaches this week, with high surf, erosion and possible coastal flooding, as a pair of storms roil warm Pacific waters and send yet more southerly swells toward the shoreline.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of warm
Adjective
  • Pursuing Leamas and Doris are Josef Fiedler and Hans-Dieter Mundt, two Stasi operatives whose ferocious desire to shut down the intelligence leak is matched only by their internal rivalry and an iron will to outmatch each other.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Pursuing Leamas and Doris are Josef Fiedler (Brühl) and Hans-Dieter Mundt (Kammerer), two Stasi operatives whose ferocious desire to shut down the intelligence leak is matched only by their internal rivalry and an iron will to outmatch each other.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of ferocious
Adjective
  • At Fox, Collier became known for his passional embrace of blockchain, NFTs and the whole Web3 space.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Nov. 2022
Definition of passional
Adjective
  • Democrats’ hopes rise in Texas Democrats are feeling newly optimistic about Texas, even in deep-red seats.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Later, Mars trines Neptune in your 8th House, making deeper reflection feel more intuitive than analytical.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of deep
Adjective
  • Neither Shaggy nor Kartel has made any new comments, but all eyes are on the two superstars as the debate rages on in their comment sections, with their fervent fan bases warring on their behalf.
    — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The performance likely to have the most fervent admirers in Creed-Miles’ as Marianne, the reckless romantic who lets her heart lead her, with devastating results.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of fervent

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intends
intense
intensely
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Cite this Entry

“Intense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intense. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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