Intensity
/ɪnˈtɛnsɪti/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe quality of being intense.
nounThe degree of strength.
Sentence Examples
He was overwhelmed by the intensity of her love.
We were shocked by the intensity of our mother's anger.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ of her anger was clear from the way her face turned red.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of the sun's rays was very strong, so we made sure to wear plenty of high-SPF sunscreen.
Word Origin & History
From intense + -ity. Cf. also Medieval Latin intensitas.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The painting’s dislocated, unformed features are the very opposite of the hard, painted dolls of the other portrait, and, where they are dead and ready to topple, this unknown man’s eyes are full of intensity and life."
— 1980, Ann Jefferson, “[Character and the age of suspicion] Unforgettable figures: Portrait d’un inconnu and Le voyeur”, in The Nouveau Roman and the Poetics of Fiction, Cambridge, Cambs: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 66:
"Fagus sylvatica (European beech) and Acer saccharum (sugar maple, from North America) are very tolerant of deep shade, while Betula spp. (birches) and Populus spp. (poplars) grow best under high light intensities."
— 2011, Peter A. Thomas, “General Forest Ecological Processes: Chapter 10 from Trees and Forests, a Color Guide”, in Arnoldia, volume 68, number 3, Boston, MA: Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, page 22:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ of her anger was clear from the way her face turned red.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of the sun's rays was very strong, so we made sure to wear plenty of high-SPF sunscreen.