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
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Recent Examples of intensely
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
Occasionally the focus drops to the fishermen’s crustacean quarry in the deep, also guarded and unhurried but intensely vulnerable; the man-lobster parallel isn’t stretched to the point of contrivance, but the film takes a thoughtfully holistic view of all the region’s living inhabitants.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
The University of Wisconsin’s guide also recommends trapping a small area intensely (one dozen traps in a private dwelling) rather than a large area sparsely.
—Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 24 Mar. 2026
For the most part, rich hair masks are the ultimate split-end menders because they’re packed with intensely moisturizing, reparative ingredients.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2026
Rock-shrimp linguine, for example, might show up at all sorts of restaurants in the city, but Doris infuses Markette’s version with Scotch bonnets, an intensely hot staple of Caribbean cuisine.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2026
Few places have caught the K-pop bug as intensely as Latin America.
—Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
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
Occasionally the focus drops to the fishermen’s crustacean quarry in the deep, also guarded and unhurried but intensely vulnerable; the man-lobster parallel isn’t stretched to the point of contrivance, but the film takes a thoughtfully holistic view of all the region’s living inhabitants.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
The University of Wisconsin’s guide also recommends trapping a small area intensely (one dozen traps in a private dwelling) rather than a large area sparsely.
—Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 24 Mar. 2026
For the most part, rich hair masks are the ultimate split-end menders because they’re packed with intensely moisturizing, reparative ingredients.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2026
Rock-shrimp linguine, for example, might show up at all sorts of restaurants in the city, but Doris infuses Markette’s version with Scotch bonnets, an intensely hot staple of Caribbean cuisine.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2026
Few places have caught the K-pop bug as intensely as Latin America.
—Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intensely
Adverb
-
Third baseman Matt Chapman charged hard and fielded the ball, but the ball popped out of his glove on the exchange.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
No baseball community dies harder, without reward, than the Rockies faithful, spring after spring.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
That can be attributed to the fact that Rolex models were already highly valued in 2018 and were also in extremely high demand during the pandemic.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Almost all natural bodies of water bear fish life, with the exception of very hot thermal ponds and extremely salt-alkaline lakes, such as the Dead Sea in Asia and the Great Salt Lake in North America.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Perhaps 20 or more people work intensively with little direction.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
-
There are many good reasons to intensively treat high blood pressure, but the benefits accumulate over many years.—
Mara Gordon,
NPR,
17 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
In the transfer portal era, making contributions at a championship-caliber program like Ohio State as a true freshman are incredibly rare.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The first thing that struck me was the gold necklace’s incredibly lightweight nature, clocking in at just 25 grams.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
31 Mar. 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
-
There are double lotteries and protections that would put a safety net beneath the very worst teams.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
For activities lasting longer than 1-2 hours, or in very hot environments, sports drinks can help replenish carbohydrates and electrolytes, but be mindful of sugar content.—
Dr. Sarah Kinsella,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Caleb practiced the Chappell Roan hit diligently with his piano teacher, Lori Stemmer, even rehearsing in his inflatable suit.—
Ronnie Li,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
For 10 years, Frances has worked diligently to become the perfect wife for Jo.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
22 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The new Attorney General is apt to be just as destructive as Bondi—maybe even more so, given that Bondi, who had little familiarity with the federal legal system, was not terribly effective in the job.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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In his absence was a grievance fest about a nation heading terribly off course, with foes at every turn to defy the greatness for which MAGA yearns.—
Alex J. Rouhandeh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intensely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intensely. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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