What does intensify mean?
Intensify is a verb meaning to make something stronger, sharper, more severe, or more pronounced, or to become so. It is used across many contexts, from practical action and emotional response to physical phenomena and public disagreement. For example, people may intensify their efforts, a storm may intensify, or new evidence may intensify public debate. The word is neutral in tone and does not necessarily imply that an increase is desirable, although it often suggests that the degree of something is rising noticeably. In formal and informal writing alike, intensify is a clear and versatile alternative to expressions such as make stronger or become more pronounced. Its related noun, intensity, describes the strength or concentration of a feeling, situation, or force, while intensification names the process of increasing something. Together, these forms make intensify especially useful when discussing change in degree, force, or emotional and social pressure.
verbTo make something stronger, more intense, or more pronounced; to become stronger or more intense.
- To increase the strength, severity, concentration, or emotional force of something.
- To become stronger, sharper, more severe, or more pronounced.
"The new evidence intensified the debate over the proposed policy."
"The storm intensified overnight, battering the coast with increasingly powerful winds."
"She intensified her preparations as the competition drew closer."
The word intensify comes from a family rooted in Latin intensus, meaning “stretched” or “intense”—so, etymologically, it is a matter of turning something up.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does intensify come from?
Intensify developed in the early 17th century from forms related to intensive and Latin intensus, meaning “stretched,” “strained,” or “intense.” The English word belongs to a wider family derived from Latin tendere, meaning “to stretch” or “to extend.” Its relatives include intensity, intensive, intensely, and intension, as well as the cognate tension. The development reflects the central sense of making or becoming greater in force, concentration, or emotional intensity.
Related word forms
How intensify is actually used
Intensify is neutral in register and can describe deliberate action, physical processes, emotions, conflicts, or any measurable increase in degree. It is especially common with efforts, pressure, scrutiny, opposition, and violence.
Easily confused with intensify
Intensify is a verb describing the act of becoming or making something more intense, whereas intense is an adjective describing a strong or concentrated quality.