intensify
/ɪnˈtɛnsɪfʌɪ
/verb (intensifies, intensifying, intensified)
1Become or make more intense: [no object]: the dispute began to intensify [with object]: they had intensified their military campaign...
- Still, analysts said it may need to expand overseas as competition intensified.
- The place to be these days is in one of the accession countries, as the focus on EU enlargement begins to intensify.
- A rush of warmth flowed through his body, and it quickly began to intensify, growing searingly hot.
Synonyms
escalate, step up, boost, increase, raise, sharpen, strengthen, augment, add to, concentrate, reinforce;
gain strength, pick up, build up, heighten, deepen, broaden, widen, extend, expand, amplify, magnify;
aggravate, exacerbate, make worse, worsen, inflame, compound
2 [with object] Photography Increase the opacity of (a negative) using a chemical: the negative may be intensified with bichloride...
- The researchers say that increasing the amount of zirconium may intensify the color.
Origin
Early 19th century: coined by Coleridge.
- church bug
- church building
- church camp
- church catechism
- church-Catholic
- church censure
- church censurer
- church choir
- church clerk
- church cloth
- church clothes
- church coffer
- church collection
- Church Commissioner
- Church Commissioners
- church congress
- church court
- church covenant
- church covenanting
- churchdom
- church door
- church errant
- Churches of Christ
- Church Estates Commission
- Church Estates Commissioner