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
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Recent Examples of intensely
Viewership did not get an anticipated kick up by attracting curiosity seekers during Dokoupil’s first month, but one person watching intensely was Bari Weiss.
—
Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
Others love it or intensely dislike it.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
Teddy’s death is intensely meaningful in very different ways for both of them.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
But while the process is simple, the end result is anything but—this French hot chocolate has a smooth, velvety texture and a decadent, intensely chocolate flavor.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2026
Pragmatists Accumulate Burnout Debt Pragmatists are driven, demanding, intensely focused on results.
—Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Andre Agassi would practice super intensely, but for short periods.
—Patrick McEnroe, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
The robotaxi market is becoming intensely competitive.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Armani was an intensely private man but had a longstanding personal relationship with his business partner, the architect, fashion designer and businessman Sergio Galeotti, who died of complications from AIDS in 1985.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
Others love it or intensely dislike it.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
Teddy’s death is intensely meaningful in very different ways for both of them.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
But while the process is simple, the end result is anything but—this French hot chocolate has a smooth, velvety texture and a decadent, intensely chocolate flavor.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2026
Pragmatists Accumulate Burnout Debt Pragmatists are driven, demanding, intensely focused on results.
—Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Andre Agassi would practice super intensely, but for short periods.
—Patrick McEnroe, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
The robotaxi market is becoming intensely competitive.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Armani was an intensely private man but had a longstanding personal relationship with his business partner, the architect, fashion designer and businessman Sergio Galeotti, who died of complications from AIDS in 1985.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intensely
Adverb
-
Some teens worry that relying on AI for emotional support could make real conversations harder.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
-
And some may not get on the ballot — each candidate must gather 500 legitimate voter signatures by March 4, which is relatively easy in citywide races but harder in council districts.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Perhaps, on extremely long timescales, those heavier elements will sink to the center of the core, producing an inert center that slows the rate of fusion even further.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Even in hockey – a sport that is extremely popular around the world – there are terms used by commentators or pundits that you might not be accustomed to hearing if not a regular to the sport.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
This winter -- the fourth of Russia's full-scale invasion -- has seen Moscow intensively target Ukraine's energy infrastructure, wreaking havoc on the national grid and precipitating rolling and extended blackouts for millions of Ukrainians.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
This selective approach came after years of working intensively to support her two sons as a single mother.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Dec. 2025
Adverb
-
That’s incredibly moving to me, when people can internally start seeing the other person’s point of view.—
Daisy Jones,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Next, Stewart moved on to the Winter Olympics and the right-wing meltdown over freestyle skier Hunter Hess’ incredibly mild comments during a press conference.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The rebuttal, published Tuesday, is a clear sign of how intently China is focusing on the case – and the White House’s broader push to root out its influence in the region.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Sitting to Braun’s left, listening intently, was the man who will have to play a large role in making that happen.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Having stabilized his ship in orbit around the black hole, Dr Hans Reinhardt (a bizarre, OTT performance from Maximilian Schell) now plans to fly into it, assisted by an unquestioning crew of automatons with a very dark origin story.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
While promoting her new miniseries Vanished in New York City on February 3, the actor was spotted flashing a peace sign for photographers and carrying a very familiar handbag on the other arm.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
7 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Within the healthy low-carb diet category, people who most diligently followed that diet had a 15% lower risk of coronary heart disease compared to the least diligent people.—
Barbara Mantel,
NBC news,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Like Victor Frankenstein, who diligently selects body parts from corpses to stitch together his humanoid creation, the Mexican director carefully assembled his troupe of movie magicians.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy — The message Kendall Coyne Schofield posted on her social media was not terribly difficult to decipher.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Not that she’s been terribly missed in the deeply Democratic state.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intensely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intensely. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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