1
as in hard
with great effort or determination
struggled intensely to master the language of her adopted country
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in extremely
to a great degree
the senate race was intensely close
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intensely
Here, books that can seem overwhelming—books of dreams, infinity, mysteries—turn out to be intensely accessible, offering so many different ways to read them and think with them.
—
Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
The intensely rich, jet-black pigment offers bold definition.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
The nonprofit, founded in 2018 as an alternative to Hollywood’s slow development process, treats plays like ephemeral mandalas — created intensely, then performed once and released.
—Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
An American designer based in Los Angeles with a background in dance, Rudi Gernreich’s work was intensely body-focused and freeing, and noticeably lacking in prudery.
—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2026
Bethenny Frankel feuded intensely.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026
Since 2009 and more intensely since 2017, nationwide protests have sporadically challenged Islamic rule.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
But because there are few viable alternatives for the full volume of oil which passes through the Strait to go by other routes, and because China would need to compete more intensely against other importers, such disruptions would also cause a major spike in global prices.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 28 Feb. 2026
That ice cream was intensely chocolaty and even smoother and denser in consistency.
—Beth Kracklauer, Outside, 27 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
The intensely rich, jet-black pigment offers bold definition.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
The nonprofit, founded in 2018 as an alternative to Hollywood’s slow development process, treats plays like ephemeral mandalas — created intensely, then performed once and released.
—Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
An American designer based in Los Angeles with a background in dance, Rudi Gernreich’s work was intensely body-focused and freeing, and noticeably lacking in prudery.
—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2026
Bethenny Frankel feuded intensely.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026
Since 2009 and more intensely since 2017, nationwide protests have sporadically challenged Islamic rule.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
But because there are few viable alternatives for the full volume of oil which passes through the Strait to go by other routes, and because China would need to compete more intensely against other importers, such disruptions would also cause a major spike in global prices.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 28 Feb. 2026
That ice cream was intensely chocolaty and even smoother and denser in consistency.
—Beth Kracklauer, Outside, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intensely
Adverb
-
Dallas Lincoln's Jada Patterson (24) drives hard to the basket during first quarter action against Fredericksburg.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Sustaining success is assuredly much harder.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
To gather the critical data, researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope’s unique ability to detect extremely faint objects.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Known for its extremely rough waters and rocky coastline, this remote section of the Namibian coast is not meant for sunbathers or scuba divers.—
Melanie van Zyl,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Young people feel this most intensively.—
Stuart A. Spencer,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
In Danbury, as in many cities across the state, our planning and legal staff are working intensively to interpret the new requirements in order to implement them by the July 1 deadline.—
Waleed Albakry,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Advertisement The stakes were incredibly high as both parties confronted questions about identity, Trumpism, Texas’ soul, and, yes, electability.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Indeed, the simple enough ad campaign — which sees Kidman saunter in from the rain to walk up and down the aisles of an empty theater, reciting some incredibly memorable dialogue — went out into the world and made its mark.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Taking the first three rows of seats, the family listened intently as Bumgarner announced the charges.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Quenneville remained intently focused on the NHL during his four years away from the bench, watching games every night on television from his home in Florida and staying in contact with his countless friends in the game.—
Greg Beacham,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Physicists hunting for new superconductors often look for a very specific shape hidden in their data—a dome.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Now, both teams head to the Big Ten tournament with opposite momentum and very different stakes, though any number of wins for UCLA can’t hurt its seeding come Selection Sunday.—
Sean Campbell,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Mayreau's permanent population of only about 300 residents is working diligently to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Beryl in 2024.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Mar. 2026
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Born from the remnants of CollegeHumor and rebuilt under CEO Reich, the indie service has cultivated an unusually intense fanbase by positioning itself as ethically transparent, diligently pro-artist, and structurally opposed to traditional Hollywood incentives.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
3 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
In a world gone terribly wrong and sideways, humanity survives.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Mar. 2026
-
If that version of the fable hasn’t aged terribly well, an item in The Wall Street Journal this week elicited a few nervous squeals from some the NFL’s TV partners.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intensely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intensely. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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