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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intensely
His talent fuses perfectly with an intensely competitive nature.
—
Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Schmidt, who was research director of the Southwest Biological Institute, sorted stings into four tiers of pain, from the mildly annoying to the intensely painful.
—Adam England, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
One of the legislative proposals in the FDA’s budget justification would let domestic manufacturers of generic drugs challenge brand drug patents a month before foreign companies, a major advantage in an intensely competitive process.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026
The joint campaign has focused intensely on destroying and degrading Iran's missile defenses, but Tehran has retained the capability to hit back across the region.
—Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
One of them is a squirmy, intensely relatable dark comedy about the escalating horrors of planning a wedding.
—Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
In India Dhurandhar’s intensely negative portrayal of Pakistan ignited a fierce debate.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026
Nonstick pans have become as intensely polarizing as a piece of cookware can be in recent years, as more research has been done into the impact of some of the chemicals used to make traditional nonstick coatings.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
These words were intensely politically damaging to Biden, yet Hur did not worry that Biden lacked a legal forum to contest Hur’s assessment.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Schmidt, who was research director of the Southwest Biological Institute, sorted stings into four tiers of pain, from the mildly annoying to the intensely painful.
—Adam England, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
One of the legislative proposals in the FDA’s budget justification would let domestic manufacturers of generic drugs challenge brand drug patents a month before foreign companies, a major advantage in an intensely competitive process.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026
The joint campaign has focused intensely on destroying and degrading Iran's missile defenses, but Tehran has retained the capability to hit back across the region.
—Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
One of them is a squirmy, intensely relatable dark comedy about the escalating horrors of planning a wedding.
—Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
In India Dhurandhar’s intensely negative portrayal of Pakistan ignited a fierce debate.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026
Nonstick pans have become as intensely polarizing as a piece of cookware can be in recent years, as more research has been done into the impact of some of the chemicals used to make traditional nonstick coatings.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
These words were intensely politically damaging to Biden, yet Hur did not worry that Biden lacked a legal forum to contest Hur’s assessment.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intensely
Adverb
-
For Rory McIlroy, the trek toward getting a second Masters championship got a little bit harder.—
Rod Beard,
AJC.com,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Some hurts Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen never returned because of a lower-body injury after being knocked hard into the boards by Hartman late in the first period.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Even if well-intentioned, this kind of unsolicited feedback can be extremely frustrating and even hurtful.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
After the family moved to America, Crockett was diagnosed with the extremely rare syndactyly-telecanthus-anogenital and renal malformations syndrome, or STAR syndrome, which impacts different parts of the body.—
Megan Vaz,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The lower mowing ranges are commonly used for recreational turf areas that are more intensively managed.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Perhaps 20 or more people work intensively with little direction.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
What starts as a playful, casual parlor game suddenly turns incredibly dark, not just because of Emma’s confession but by Rachel’s sudden turn from loyal friend to judgmental scold.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Hardside coolers are incredibly heavy when filled, but this one is easy to wheel across parking lots, beaches, and parks.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
7 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Precede the yelp with a cluck, and listen intently for half a minute or so.—
Charles Elliott,
Outdoor Life,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Words of Affirmation For kids who listen intently and speak sweetly, your loving words matter most.—
Gail Cornwall,
Parents,
1 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Arthur would have looked very different had another actor played him, according to the filmmaker.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Over time, my relationship with my wife has become very difficult.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Officers worked diligently and patiently to free Miracle from the drainage pipe, the agency said.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Security footage and tracks from the attack showed that Honey had diligently warded off a bear while on patrol.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
31 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
All told, the destructive flooding killed at least 136 people along a several-mile stretch of the river, raising questions about how things went so terribly wrong.—
Jim Vertuno,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Things aren’t going terribly well as of late for the Prius.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intensely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intensely. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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