intensifyin‧ten‧si‧fy /ɪnˈtensɪfaɪ/ ●○○ AWL verb (past tense and past participle intensified, present participle intensifying, third person singular intensifies) [intransitive, transitive] 
Verb Table Examples
In June the civil war intensified. His mother’s death intensified his loneliness.—intensification /ɪnˌtensɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ noun [singular, uncountable]: an intensification of fighting in the region
Verb TableVERB TABLE
intensify
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | intensify |
| he, she, it | intensifies | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | intensified |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have intensified |
| he, she, it | has intensified | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had intensified |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will intensify |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have intensified |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am intensifying |
| he, she, it | is intensifying | |
| you, we, they | are intensifying | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was intensifying |
| you, we, they | were intensifying | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been intensifying |
| he, she, it | has been intensifying | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been intensifying |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be intensifying |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been intensifying |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- As the season intensifies, quarterback Young will need to work on his fitness.
- China is intensifying efforts to fight crime.
- In the run-up to the election, terrorists have intensified their activities.
- Police have now intensified the search for the lost child.
- The controversy is only expected to intensify.
- The dizzy feeling in her head intensified, and she knew she was about to black out.
- The fighting intensified and spread through the city.
- The latest merger will intensify competition among defense companies.
- Their panic intensified, as they heard the gunshots getting closer.
- Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, racism and bigotry intensified.
- We have no choice but to intensify the strike campaign.
- Winds intensified during the afternoon.
Longman Language Activatorto increase the amount of something you do► increase
Collocations · We must increase public awareness of the health risks associated with sunbathing.· The government is increasing pressure on drug-traffickers.· The imposition of martial law will only increase violence and repression.
► step up to increase your efforts or activities, especially in order to improve a situation that is not as good as you want it to be: step up something: · The US government stepped up its war against terrorism.· The police presence is to be stepped up at this year's carnival.step it up (=make a greater effort to achieve something): · It's good we were able to step it up at the end of the game.
► expand to increase something so that it covers a wider area or range of activities: · Dr. Martin also helped expand housing opportunities for people with AIDs.· The agency hopes to expand coverage of new musical talent on its Internet site.expand something to something: · They fund programs that expand health benefits to wider segments of the community.
► broaden to increase something such as knowledge, experience, or your range of activities: · At Missouri, Wright broadened his experience by working on a local newspaper.· The library is installing new technology to broaden access to its huge store of information.· The company has broadened its product range in the US.
► extend to increase something such as your influence or control over something: · The US government is still trying to extend its influence over European politics.· We can extend our effectiveness enormously by the use of up-to-date technology.· Time Warner recently extended its reach to the world's biggest music business.
► intensify to increase activities or efforts, especially against an enemy or someone who opposes you: · In the run-up to the election, terrorists have intensified their activities.· China is intensifying efforts to fight crime.· We have no choice but to intensify the strike campaign.· The latest merger will intensify competition among defense companies.
when a feeling becomes stronger► grow if a feeling grows it gradually becomes stronger: · Her confidence grew, and soon she was able to go out driving on her own.· The more I studied, the more my anxiety about the exam grew.· Fears are growing for the safety of the missing children.
► increase to become stronger - use this especially about a feeling that a lot of people have: · The excitement is increasing inside the stadium as we wait for the teams to come out onto the field.· The President's popularity has increased enormously in recent months.
► intensify written if a bad or unpleasant feeling such as fear or pain intensifies , it increases: · Their panic intensified, as they heard the gunshots getting closer.· The dizzy feeling in her head intensified, and she knew she was about to black out.· Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, racism and bigotry intensified.
► build up if a bad feeling such as anger builds up , it gradually increases until you feel you have to do something: · The pressure built up over the year, and eventually I had to leave my job.· I could feel the anger building up inside me.
► deepen if a strong feeling such as love, respect, or sadness deepens , it increases gradually: · With every new day, her despair only seemed to deepen.· As she watched the nuns working among the sick and dying, her respect for them deepened.
► mount if a feeling, especially of worry or activity mounts , it becomes stronger: · As the dispute continues, tension is mounting on the border between the two countries.· Anxiety about job security mounted at the plant after profits fell by 68%.
to increase► increase to become larger in number, amount, price, value etc: · Gradually the noise and traffic increased as they approached the city.· Hormone levels increase throughout pregnancy.· The use of mobile phones has increased enormously over the past two years.· Revenue and profits have increased dramatically this year.increase by 10%/$100/2 million etc: · The price of cigarettes has increased by 30% in the last two years.increase to (=to reach a total of $1000 etc): · Wind speeds are expected to increase to 60 mph.· The number of high school students using LSD has increased to its highest level since 1986. increase from £300/1 million etc to £400/1.5 million etc: · Health care costs increased from £1.9 billion in 2000 to £4 billion in 2001. increase in number/value etc: · Major league clubs have increased in number from 26 to 28.
► go up/rise to increase - use this about numbers, prices, or temperatures etc, but also about the level or standard of something: · The price of petrol is going up again, for the third time this year.· The jobless rate hit 9.3% last month, after rising for four months in a row.· With more and more cars on the road, pollution levels are rising steadily.· You'll need about £10, if the rail fare's gone up again, which I expect it has.go up/rise by 10%/$500 etc (=become 10% etc greater): · Personal computer sales rose by 70% in the run-up to Christmas.go up/rise to: · By mid-day, the temperature had already risen to 40 degrees.go up/rise from £300/1 million etc to £400/2 million etc: · The average price of a loaf of bread has gone up from 25p to 60p.
► grow to increase gradually over a period of time - use this about numbers or amounts, or about a total amount of business activity or trade: · China's economic output continues to grow at a remarkable annual rate.· Demand for new cars is growing rapidly.· The number of openly gay rock musicians has grown steadily in recent years, and shows no signs of abating.grow by 10%/5000 etc (=become 10% etc greater): · Profits in the military aircraft business grew by 28% to a record $905 million.grow to: · The personnel team has grown to 6,700 full-time employees from just 900 in 2000.
► climb if the temperature, prices, profits etc climb , they increase until they reach a very high level: · Demand for goods grew and imports climbed steadily.climb to: · The original estimate of $500 million has now climbed to a staggering $1300 million.· Temperatures are expected to climb to record levels this weekend.
► gain if something or someone gains speed, weight, or height, their speed, weight, or height increases: · The train rolled forward, gaining speed rapidly.· A new-born baby will gain weight at around one ounce per day.· The four men told the inquiry they did not know why the plane failed to gain height after it took off.
► escalate to increase to a high level - use this about things you do not want to increase such as prices, crimes etc: · Gas prices are expected to continue to escalate in the short term.· Staff saw costs escalating and sales slumping as the effect of the recession hit the company.escalate to: · The cost of the new building has escalated to a worrying level.escalate sharply/dramatically: · The number of attacks on foreign aid workers has escalated dramatically.
► pick up if trade, business, or work picks up , the amount of it that is available increases after it has been at a level that is too low: · Their shop was losing money, but they carried on in the hope that business would pick up soon.· At present the hotel is almost empty, but I'm sure things will start to pick up in the spring.
► widen if a difference between two amounts widens , or the range of things available widens , it increases: · The range of university courses available has widened tremendously in recent years.· The gap between the incomes of two-carer families and lone mothers with children has widened.
► be on the increase if something bad such as a problem or illness is on the increase , it is happening more and more frequently: · Juvenile crime is on the increase in most parts of the country.· Homelessness has been on the increase for a long time.be on the increase among: · What is particularly alarming is that bullying is on the increase among even very young primary children.
► intensify if an effort or an activity such as fighting intensifies , it increases so that more people do it or the people already doing it use more effort: · The fighting intensified and spread through the city.· As the season intensifies, quarterback Young will need to work on his fitness.· The controversy is only expected to intensify.
► expand if trade or a business activity expands , it increases: · Trade between developing countries and industrialized countries is beginning to expand.· The business was growing rapidly and beginning to expand abroad.
► build up if the number or amount of something builds up , it increases gradually so that there is much more than there was before: · Traffic is building up on the southern exit of the motorway.· A huge backlog of work had built up during my absence.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► only
to increase in degree or strength, or to make something do this: · The economic downturn has only intensified the self-rejuvenating qualities of élites and multiplied the ways in which others are shut out.· Passing laws that prevent citizens from taking out their savings only intensifies the confidence crisis.· When you come down on him too hard, you may only intensify his own self-criticism and probably even self-hatred.· In the years since, the clash between old and new has only intensified.· But now that I had to live here, understand here, everything I saw only intensified my bewilderment.· Losing only intensifies Williams' plight.· That complaint was well founded, and the trend only intensified.
NOUN► effort· He also said he would order staffers to intensify efforts to find more wells.
► pressure· The Act intensifies the competitive pressures already experienced by many schools as a result of falling rolls throughout the 1980s.· The new findings sharply intensified congressional pressure to halt the withdrawal program.· The latest figures announced yesterday will intensify pressure on the Government to produce a jobs package in next month's Budget.· Although private funding has bridged much of this gap, declining ticket sales of 35 % have intensified financial pressures.· Such initiatives intensified the pressure exerted by the guild for the state to take responsibility for public health.· Rhee intensified his pressure in the early months of 1947 and became more outspoken in criticising the military government.
► problem· It is possible that future developments in storage and warehousing may intensify these problems.· Money and technological advance intensify the problem.· Consequently a lack of cooperation in the international monetary system only served to intensify the economic problem of the 1930s.
► war· But as the war intensified, the jokes wore thin.· As the civil war intensified and the Communist armies neared Canton, prices for food and other necessities skyrocketed.· In early 1990 the guerrilla war intensified, with rising casualties among both the local population and the security forces.· On June 30, the war of words was intensified by John Trudell.· As we shall see, one of the effects of the Peloponnesian War was to intensify political activity and pamphleteering.· After the Six-Day War, their agitation intensified.
VERB► continue· Relationships with the global trading and financial systems have continued to intensify.· The interest continues, even intensifies, during adolescence.
► seem· The nightmare seemed to be intensifying.· The cabby was approaching fast; his hatred seemed to have intensified on his scowling face.· The piercing brilliance of the late afternoon sunlight seems to intensify the surrealism of the constantly changing scenery.· The failure of this meagre adornment seemed only to intensify the air of sadness, like decorations on a dead Christmas tree.· Each time he awoke the pain seemed to have intensified.· The awareness of the world's antiquity which was often with me seemed to intensify, to be a solace.
In June the civil war intensified. His mother’s death intensified his loneliness.—intensification /ɪnˌtensɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ noun [singular, uncountable]: an intensification of fighting in the region