Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Relating to a method or system that uses a lot of resources to achieve high output: Often describes agriculture, industry, or care that involves concentrated effort, capital, or labor on a fixed area or task.
   • Serving to give force or emphasis: In grammar, describes a word or element that strengthens the meaning of another word.
   • Characterized by a high degree or intensity; thorough and concentrated: Describes an activity, process, or period that is very deep, focused, and demanding.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • The region is known for its intensive agriculture, producing high yields from small plots.
  • "Absolutely" is an intensive adverb that adds emphasis to the adjective "fantastic."
  • After the accident, she required intensive care in the hospital.
  • He enrolled in an intensive language course to learn quickly.

Advanced Usage

• As a combining form (-intensive): Used to form compound adjectives describing processes that require a large amount of a specified resource.
  • The manufacturing process is capital-intensive, requiring huge financial investment.
  • Customer service is a labor-intensive industry.
  • This is a research-intensive university.

Variants and Related Words

• Intensively (adverb): In a thorough and concentrated way.
  • She trained intensively for the marathon.
• Intensiveness (noun): The quality of being intensive. (Less common)
• Intensifier (noun): A linguistic term for a word, especially an adverb, that emphasizes another word. This is the noun form related to the grammatical sense.

Synonyms

• Concentrated: Focused on a single subject or into a small area.
• Thorough: Carried out completely and carefully.
• Deep: Profound and detailed.
• Demanding: Requiring much skill, effort, or attention.

Related Phrases

• Intensive care unit (ICU): A specialized hospital department for critically ill patients requiring constant monitoring and treatment. (Note: This is a common compound noun where "intensive" is a key component).
• Intensive farming/agriculture: A farming system aiming to maximize production from a given land area.

Related Idioms

Adjective

1. of agriculture; intended to increase productivity of a fixed area by expending more capital and labor
   • intensive agriculture
   • intensive conditions
2. tending to give force or emphasis
   • an intensive adverb
3. characterized by a high degree or intensity; often used as a combining form
   • the questioning was intensive
   • intensive care
   • research-intensive
   • a labor-intensive industry

Noun

1. a modifier that has little meaning except to intensify the meaning it modifies
   • `up' in `finished up' is an intensifier
   • `honestly' in `I honestly don't know' is an intensifier