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adj. in·tens·er, in·tens·est 1. Possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to an extreme degree: the intense sun of the tropics. 2. Extreme in degree, strength, or size: intense heat. 3. Involving or showing strain or extreme effort: intense concentration. 4. a. Deeply felt; profound: intense anger. b. Having or showing strong feeling or great seriousness: an intense writer. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin intēnsus, stretched, intent, from past participle of intendere, to stretch, intend; see INTEND.] in·tensely adv. in·tenseness n. Usage Note: The meanings of intense and intensive overlap considerably, but the two adjectives often have distinct meanings. Intense often suggests a strength or concentration that arises from an inner disposition and is particularly appropriate for describing emotional states: "He wondered vaguely why all this intense feeling went running because of a few burnt potatoes" (D.H. Lawrence). Intensive is more appropriate when the strength or concentration of an activity is imposed from without: "They worked out a system of intensive agriculture surpassing anything I ever heard of, with the very forests all reset with fruit- or nut-bearing trees" (Charlotte Perkins Gilman). Thus a reference to Mark's intense study of German suggests that Mark engaged in concentrated activity, while Mark's intensive study of German suggests the course Mark took was designed to cover a lot of material in a brief period. |
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