Intense
/ɪnˈtɛns/noun
Very strong, extreme, or concentrated in degree.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin roots meaning “to stretch into,” which is why it originally described force, pressure, and concentrated effort before becoming an emotion-word in English.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
intensus
“stretched tight; strained; intense”
Late Latin
Latin
intendere
“to stretch out, strain, direct toward”
Old French
Old French
intense
“stretched, strained; severe”
17th Century
English
intense
“stretched tight; strained; strongly applied”
Modern English
English
intense
“very strong, extreme, or concentrated”