intently

adverb

in·​tent·​ly in-ˈtent-lē How to pronounce intently (audio)
Synonyms of intently
: in an intent or concentrated manner : with great effort, attention, or concentration
Their eyes, when they look at you and listen intently, focus like laser beams.Molly Haskell
He turned back to face her again and stared at her most intently.Robert C. O'Brien

Examples of intently in a Sentence

intently studied his notes just before the exam
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
After the Lakers dropped a 125-107 decision, James and his teammates were standing near midcourt, listening intently as Austin Reaves demonstratively spoke to referees. Jason Jones, New York Times, 12 May 2026 These qualities also tie her to Enyedi herself, who looks as intently and open-mindedly as Grete does. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 May 2026 The deal was done, officials said, to solidify the corporate balance sheet, bolster standing with rating agencies and focus more intently Sempra’s utilities holdings — SDG&E, SoCalGas and Oncor. Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026 People leaned in and listened intently as others spoke with sincerity. Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for intently

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of intently was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Intently.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intently. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

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