1
as in hard
with great effort or determination
struggled intensely to master the language of her adopted country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
The seven-episode limited series (four of which were screened for review) is also an intensely curious character study that centers the damage done by repressed desires, as well as the liberty found in their uninhibited acceptance.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 26 Feb. 2026
Mondragon, though, mostly transcends meaninglessness by having to stare intensely at a stranger’s reaction — the medium is the message, as always.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Even after a quarter century, the drive to outwit, outplay and outlast remains intensely personal.
—Terry Terrones, HollywoodReporter, 25 Feb. 2026
Other times, congregate shelters are either intensely policed or crime ridden, not wheelchair accessible, and not accommodating of gender identity.
—Deborah Berkman, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
An autistic person stopped by police might hold the officer’s gaze intensely or not look at them at all.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
There was something intensely familiar about Scheffler’s perspective.
—Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
But the intensely ideological debate about AI has pushed them into the background.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Talking publicly today about his own rejection, Jackson can become intensely personal.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 26 Feb. 2026
Mondragon, though, mostly transcends meaninglessness by having to stare intensely at a stranger’s reaction — the medium is the message, as always.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Even after a quarter century, the drive to outwit, outplay and outlast remains intensely personal.
—Terry Terrones, HollywoodReporter, 25 Feb. 2026
Other times, congregate shelters are either intensely policed or crime ridden, not wheelchair accessible, and not accommodating of gender identity.
—Deborah Berkman, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
An autistic person stopped by police might hold the officer’s gaze intensely or not look at them at all.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
There was something intensely familiar about Scheffler’s perspective.
—Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
But the intensely ideological debate about AI has pushed them into the background.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Talking publicly today about his own rejection, Jackson can become intensely personal.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intensely
Adverb
-
But the cumulative effect has been to make the already difficult transition between the Bundesliga and the Premier League even harder.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The founding generation of screen actors, who fought hard and risked much to establish a labor union for the profession, would still likely balk at the deletion of the name.—
Thomas Doherty,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Today any surface that has a coating, any device that uses stacks of extremely thin films — television screens, cell phone screens and the microchips inside — can be traced back to Katharine, repeatedly dipping a metal plate in a trough of water.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Wlazlo is extremely driven and results-oriented, Tessaro said.—
Brian Womack,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Feb. 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
-
Tel Aviv, Israel — Undermining this moment of relief for many repressed Iranians is that killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is a perilously simple fix to a very complex problem.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The Innova 5610 is very capable and has decent price.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
28 Feb. 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
-
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
-
But all of this rapturous gazing made up a terribly small fraction of the experience of being a parent.—
Daniel Smith,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
-
But the arguments that AI will take over tasks and that will allow people to be more fully human is terribly mistaken and overtly hubristic.—
Caleb Harris,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intensely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intensely. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
