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Added 1 October 2026

intense

/ɪnˈtɛns/ adjective

Latin root: intēnsus Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about intense at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Of a characteristic: extreme or very high or strong in degree; severe; also, excessive, towering.
Of a thing: possessing some characteristic to an extreme or very high or strong degree.
Of feelings, thoughts, etc.: strongly focused; ardent, deep, earnest, passionate.
intense study

Origin

From Late Middle English intens, intense (“ardent, fervent; extreme, great, intense”), borrowed from Old French intense (modern French intense), or directly from its etymon Latin intēnsus (“strained, stretched tight; intense; attentive; violent; (rare) eager, intent”), the perfect passive participle of intendō (“to stretch out, strain”), from in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside, within’) + tendō (“to extend, stretch”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tend- (“to extend, stretch”)).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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