Introduction:
Intensifiers in English add emphasis and strength to our language, allowing us to express our feelings, opinions, or observations more vividly. In English, intensifiers are versatile words that enhance the impact of verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
In this article, we will explore what intensifiers are, provide examples, delve into their compatibility with strong adjectives, and offer a comprehensive list to aid English learners in mastering the use of intensifiers.
What are Intensifiers In English?
Intensifiers in English are words that amplify or reinforce the intensity of verbs, adjectives, or adverbs in a sentence. They emphasize the degree or extent of a particular quality, action, or emotion. Often placed before the word they modify, intensifiers contribute to effective communication by conveying the speaker’s sentiments more emphatically.
Examples of Intensifiers in English:
- I strongly disagree.
- It’s extremely hot in Africa.
- You play soccer very well.
- Do you really mean it?
- It’s fairly interesting.
- It’s quite calm here.
- He’s pretty intelligent.
- These students are rather noisy.
- I so wanted to buy the dress.
- She writes poems too often.
- It’s absolutely amazing.
- I am a little angry with her.
Can Intensifiers be Used with Strong Adjectives?
Before we explore the compatibility of intensifiers with strong adjectives, it’s essential to understand what strong adjectives are.
Strong adjectives, such as “enormous,” “awful,” and “devastating,” inherently carry a significant degree of intensity and vividly describe the qualities they represent.
Interestingly, when using strong adjectives, the typical intensifier “very” may not be used. Instead, other intensifiers like “absolutely,” “completely,” “exceptionally,” and “particularly” are preferred to convey the heightened intensity accurately.
Examples of Strong Adjectives with Intensifiers:
| Intensifier | Strong Adjective |
|---|---|
| Absolutely | Enormous |
| Completely | Awful |
| Exceptionally | Devastating |
| Particularly | Tremendous |
| Uncommonly | Incredible |
| Utterly | Intense |
| Astoundingly | Gigantic |
| Colossally | Catastrophic |
| Fantastically | Monstrous |
| Incredibly | Formidable |
| Radically | Unbelievable |
| Remarkably | Overwhelming |
| Strikingly | Appalling |
| Extraordinarily | Mammoth |
| Extremely | Dreadful |
| Especially | Monumental |
| Excessively | Horrifying |
| Outrageously | Terrifying |
| Frightfully | Colossal |
| Mightily | Abominable |
| Totally | Massive |
| Totally | Formidable |
| Unusually | Apocalyptic |
| Supremely | Monumental |
List of Intensifiers:
Here is a list of common intensifiers in English
- Absolutely
- Amazingly
- Astoundingly
- Colossally
- Completely
- Dreadfully
- Especially
- Exceptionally
- Excessively
- Extraordinarily
- Extremely
- Fantastically
- Frightfully
- Fully
- Highly
- Incredibly
- Literally
- Mightily
- Moderately
- Outrageously
- Quite
- Radically
- Rather
- Really
- Remarkably
- So
- Somewhat
- Strikingly
- Supremely
- Terribly
- Terrifically
- Too
- Totally
- Uncommonly
- Unusually
- Utterly
Conclusion:
In conclusion, intensifiers are words that enable us to communicate with greater impact and expressiveness. Intensifiers such as “very”, “really”, and “completely” enrich our language, allowing for more nuanced and powerful communication. With strong adjectives the intensifier ‘very” is not acceptable. We use instead other intensifiers such as “completely”, “absolutely”, and “interestingly.”
More on intensifiers here.
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