intensive

adjective

in-ˈten(t)-siv How to pronounce intensive (audio)
Definition of intensivenext
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect Maintaining the house's expansive gardens requires intensive effort.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 intensive The district said the measure would help schools address students’ needs earlier, before those needs call for more intensive and expensive assistance. — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026 This new automatic task router will allow OpenAI to reduce how compute intensive Dots is. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2026 After eight months, participants in that program had better results than those following a less intensive home exercise program. — Priya Bhardwaj, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2026 The intervention group halted their blood sugar and blood pressure medications under medical supervision and began an intensive 800- to 900-calorie daily diet. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for intensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intensive
  1. intense
  2. fierce
  3. ferocious
  4. deep
  5. terrible
Adjective
  • The normally quiet state race became the focus on intense scrutiny because of a pattern of incendiary remarks by French, the former Tarrant County GOP chair.
    — Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Lara faced intense scrutiny and criticism during his eight years in office from Californians frustrated by rising prices, fewer options and how their claims were handled.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • But this latest poll reflects a fierce anti-Trump sentiment among Michigan voters.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • As the company navigates fierce critics and a wave of communities outside the Atlanta area ending their contracts, Flock has been tightening some standards on its own, nationwide.
    — Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of fierce
Adjective
  • The rising, warming sea and ferocious winter storms have battered the road.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • One of the most celebrated objects from the India Museum is a mechanical wooden sculpture of a ferocious tiger gnawing at a British soldier’s throat.
    — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of ferocious
Adjective
  • That gives camper travelers the ability to drive cleanly and quietly through city centers, around campgrounds and down deep forest roads.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • In the Soil Grubs and some types of moth larvae may dig in even deeper and overwinter directly in the soil itself.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of deep
Adjective
  • The bat lay on its back, soggy and wretched, here in the waning hours of this terrible day.
    — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
  • An ugly fight between teammates during training camp was a terrible start to a season that officially began with a loss against North Carolina, a game in Dublin that TCU essentially sold, against the desires of Dykes.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of terrible

Browse Nearby Words

intensity
intensive
intensively
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Intensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intensive. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of abandon

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All