intensify

intensify — verb

1. to become stronger, more extreme, or more noticeable; a person or thing can also

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to become stronger, more extreme, or more noticeable; a person or thing can also intensify something, raising its level of force or strength

Example

The sound of the drums intensified as the parade came closer to the square.

intransitive: sound/temperature/storm + intensifies on its own

Soraya's headache intensified after she spent three hours reading in dim light.

Common collocations
  • intensify efforts
  • intensify pressure
  • intensify the debate
  • intensify conflict
  • pain intensifies
  • storm intensifies
  • sound intensifies
  • flavour intensifies
Synonyms
  • heighten

    more common with emotions, awareness, or sensory experiences; has a slightly more literary tone

  • deepen

    limited to emotions, colours, or relationships; suggests increased depth rather than raw force

  • escalate

    carries a negative tone — typically used for conflict, violence, or crisis getting worse

Antonyms
  • lessen

    to make or become smaller in degree; opposite direction but same grammatical behaviour

  • weaken

    to make or become less strong; more physical than 'lessen'

  • ease

    to become less severe or unpleasant; often used for pain or tension

Grammar Patterns

intensify + noun phrase

noun phrase + intensify (no object)

Usage Note

Functions both transitively and intransitively. Intransitive subjects are typically natural phenomena (storm, wind), physical sensations (pain, headache), or abstract situations (conflict, debate) that grow stronger on their own. Transitive uses require an agent deliberately applying force, pressure, or effort to raise the degree of something.

Common Mistakes

The pain intensified up overnight.
The pain intensified overnight.
'intensify' already contains the idea of increase; adding 'up' is redundant and ungrammatical.
The teacher intensified the students to focus.
The teacher intensified the pressure on the students to focus.
'intensify' cannot take a person as its direct object; use a noun that can actually grow in degree (pressure, effort, focus).

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words mean 'to make or become greater,' but they differ in what kind of increase they describe. 'Strengthen' is the broadest and most physical — you can strengthen a wall, a muscle, or a relationship. 'Heighten' works best for sensory or emotional experiences (heightened awareness, heightened anxiety) and has a slightly literary feel. 'Deepen' suggests downward or inward growth: deepen a friendship, deepen a colour, deepen understanding. 'Escalate' carries a negative charge — it implies a situation is getting worse in a step-by-step way, usually a conflict, crisis, or cost. Use 'intensify' when focus is on the degree of something becoming more extreme rather than the direction of change. For example: 'The heat intensified as midday approached' (degree becomes harder to bear) vs. 'The heat strengthened' (the heat source itself got stronger).

heighten ↗deepen ↗escalate ↗strengthen ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • greatly intensify
  • steadily intensify
  • gradually intensify
  • dramatically intensify
  • further intensify

Phrases

  • intensify the focus on
  • intensify calls for
  • intensify the search for

Prepositions

  • intensify into (a crisis / a full-blown conflict)
  • intensify beyond (a tolerable level)

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From French 'intensifier', built from Latin 'intensus' meaning 'stretched tight' (from 'intendere' — to stretch out) plus the English suffix '-fy' meaning 'to make'. The root idea is of something being pulled taut, so that its effect grows stronger — a bowstring pulled tighter, a voice raised louder.