Intensifying adjectives make other adjectives stronger or more extreme. They help express the degree of a quality and add emphasis to your description.
They usually answer questions like: How much? or To what degree?
Key Concepts
- Boost intensity: Make a description stronger (e.g., very cold, absolutely amazing).
- Come before adjectives: They intensify the adjective they precede.
- Not standalone: Always used with another adjective.
Examples of Intensifying Adjectives
- Common intensifiers: very, really, extremely, incredibly, absolutely, quite
- Strong intensifiers (often with extreme adjectives): completely, utterly, totally, deeply
Quick Examples:
- It's a very cold day. (adds degree)
- She's an absolutely brilliant scientist. (adds emphasis)
- This is an incredibly difficult
Beginner Level: Recognizing Intensifiers
Start by noticing words that make adjectives stronger. These are intensifiers.
- He is very tired.
- This pizza is really good.
- The water is extremely cold.
Intermediate Level: Using the Right Intensifier
Match the right intensifier with the type of adjective:
- Very & really: Used with most adjectives (e.g., very happy, really smart).
- Absolutely & utterly: Used with extreme adjectives (e.g., absolutely perfect, utterly useless).
- She is really excited about the trip.
- That idea is totally ridiculous.
- The weather was absolutely terrible yesterday.
Advanced Level: Subtle Differences & Style
Learn to choose intensifiers based on context, tone, and degree.
- Quite: Can mean "fairly" or "completely" depending on region (UK vs US).
- Deeply: Often used for emotions (e.g., deeply moved, deeply grateful).
- So: Informal and dramatic (e.g., I'm so tired!).
- I'm deeply disappointed in your actions.
- That was quite interesting. (mild praise)
- The film was utterly brilliant! (enthusiastic tone)
Intensifying vs Descriptive Adjectives
| Type |
Function |
Example |
| Intensifying |
Strengthens another adjective |
That was an incredibly boring class. |
| Descriptive |
Gives factual detail |
That was a long class. |
Real-Life Usage
1. Emotions
- I was deeply touched by the story.
- He felt absolutely miserable after the news.
2. Opinions
- That's a really good question.
- This plan is completely ridiculous.
3. Weather
- It's extremely hot today!
- The wind is quite strong.
4. Work/Performance
- Her presentation was absolutely flawless.
- He's really hardworking.
Common Mistakes
Watch out for:
- ✖ Using weak intensifiers with extreme adjectives (e.g., very fantastic ❌)
- ✔ Use stronger ones: absolutely fantastic ✅
- ✖ Doubling intensifiers: very absolutely amazing ❌
- ✔ Only one intensifier is enough: absolutely amazing ✅
- ✖ Wrong context: utterly happy ❌ (doesn't sound natural)
- ✔ Use with appropriate adjectives: utterly useless ✅
Why Learn Intensifying Adjectives?
- Express emotions clearly: Show how strong your feelings are.
- Make writing more dynamic: Add flair and variation.
- Speak more naturally: Sound more fluent and expressive.
Fun Activities
1. Intensifier Swap
Change weak intensifiers to stronger ones.
Example: "very good" → "absolutely amazing"
2. Matching Game
Match intensifiers with suitable adjectives: e.g., "utterly" → "useless", "deeply" → "sorry"
3. Rewrite Challenge
Take bland sentences and make them powerful.
Example:
- Original: "The movie was bad."
- Rewritten: "The movie was utterly terrible."
Quick Quiz
Which of these sentences use intensifying adjectives?
- It's a very beautiful sunset.
- She wore a yellow dress.
- He gave an absolutely amazing speech.
- The old dog slept peacefully.
- That was a really boring class.
Answers: 1, 3, and 5 are correct (very, absolutely, really = intensifying). 2 and 4 are descriptive only.