intensely

adverb

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in extremely
to a great degree the senate race was intensely close

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 intensely That in turn, could create conflict with Kiffin, who couldn’t understand why his boss jumped on him so frequently and intensely. — John Talty, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026 Fashion companies can spend nine to 12 months developing, producing and distributing collections, leaving them poorly equipped to respond when weather arrives earlier, later or more intensely than expected. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026 Most of Shakur’s surviving family stare intensely ahead — including his sister Sekyiwa, his stepbrother and collaborator, Mopreme Shakur, and his extended clan. — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026 The sequel ratchets up the stakes by saddling its cursed protagonist with not only a supernatural nightmare but the pressures of living under an intensely public spotlight. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Sep. 2026 The teen is fiercely independent and intensely curious, according to her mom. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026 The Spa The communal areas and treatment rooms at Life in Balance Spa underwent a top-to-bottom overhaul, so even a mani-pedi feels intensely relaxing. — Jessica Ritz, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026 Enormous and exasperatingly unruly, Erotic Vagrancy is intensely personal. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 The plantation economy that developed in the American South institutionalized an intensely extractive relationship with the land. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intensely
  1. hard
  2. extremely
  3. intensively
  4. incredibly
  5. intently
  6. very
  7. diligently
  8. terribly
Adverb
  • Vucic has pushed hard against the protesters, sparking international concern over police violence and arbitrary detentions.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • From a security standpoint, verifying political senders can help make impersonation harder.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of hard
Adverb
  • Christner studies microorganisms that are able to survive in extremely low temperatures.
    — Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Deposition systems add extremely thin layers of material onto a silicon wafer.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of extremely
Adverb
  • Whalers hunted bowheads intensively in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, pushing them towards extinction.
    — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been working intensively to reduce their dependence on the strait, building pipelines and investing in storage facilities to transport their oil by other routes.
    — Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of intensively
Adverb
  • But incredibly, that failure actually paved the way for his return to the competition last season, with Benfica hiring him just weeks later.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • This part — two brothers who respect each others’ artistic gifts (most of the time) but cannot stand each other personally — is not universal but incredibly specific.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of incredibly
Adverb
  • Greg Derr / Pool via The Patriot Ledger During Reddington’s closing argument, Clancy’s parents seemed to be intently focused.
    — Sumiko Corley, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
  • This commitment to investing in people, listening intently, and acting on feedback drives continuous improvement, proving that exceptional service is a deliberate outcome of strong leadership and a responsive culture.
    — Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of intently
Adverb
  • The artists at The Library Show paid The Garage’s proposed no Milwaukee rap very little mind.
    — Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Films can change the world, or at the very least, the people who walk it.
    — Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of very
Adverb
  • This person started out diligently highlighting and taking notes.
    — Helen I. Bennett, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026
  • From 1908 until his death in 1947, he was largely confined to the property’s main home under specialized psychiatric care, while Katherine lived elsewhere, diligently funding research to find a cure.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of diligently
Adverb
  • You’re born in a place where women are treated terribly, or journalists are imprisoned, and those people need some luck.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
  • But things went terribly wrong while giving birth to her daughter.
    — Michael Collins, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of terribly

Browse Nearby Words

intense
intensely
intenseness
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Cite this Entry

“Intensely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intensely. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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