Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “intense” come from?

Intense comes from Middle French intense, from Latin intensus, the past participle of intendere meaning to stretch or strain, from in- and tendere.

intense (English): Strained; tightly drawn; Strict, very close or...

Definitions

  1. Strained; tightly drawn; Strict, very close or...

Ancestry of “intense”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishintens—
2Old Frenchintense—
3Latinintēnsus—
4Latinintendō—
5Latinīn-—
6Latinîn—
7Latinenlookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ
8Proto-Italicenin
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁énin

Words derived from “intense”

  • intensity
  • intensely
  • intensify
  • intensification
  • intensifying
  • hyperintense
  • intensifier
  • hypointense
  • hyperintensity
  • isointense
  • intenseness
  • hypointensity
  • paleointensity
  • ultraintense
  • palaeointensity
  • overintense
  • deintensification
  • superintense
  • reintensify
  • overintensity
  • unintense
  • superintensity
  • intensation
  • intensate
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁én →