1. (a.) Strained; tightly drawn; kept on the stretch; strict; very close or earnest; as, intense study or application; intense thought.

2. (a.) Extreme in degree; excessive; immoderate; as: (a) Ardent; fervent; as, intense heat. (b) Keen; biting; as, intense cold. (c) Vehement; earnest; exceedingly strong; as, intense passion or hate. (d) Very severe; violent; as, intense pain or anguish. (e) Deep; strong; brilliant; as, intense color or light.

abandoned ablaze accentuated active acute advertent afire aggravated aggressive agog alert all ears all eyes animated ardent assiduous attentive aware boiling over breathless bright bright-hued brilliant brisk burning careful colorful colory committed comprehensive concentrated conscious consequential considerable consuming cordial cutting deafening dedicated deep deep-colored delirious desperate devoted devout diligent drastic drunk dynamic eager earnest emotional emphasized energetic enhanced enterprising enthusiastic excessive excited excruciating exhaustive exorbitant exotic exquisite extravagant extreme exuberant faithful fanatical febrile fervent fervid fevered feverish fierce fiery finical finicking finicky flaming flushed forceful forcible frantic frenzied full full of pep furious gay gay-colored glowing go-go gorgeous grand grave great hard harsh heartfelt hearty heated heavy heedful heightened high-colored high-spirited hot hot-blooded hotheaded hysterical immoderate impassioned impetuous impulsive in earnest incisive intemperate intensified intent intent on intentive intoxicated irresistible keen kinetic lively living loud loyal lusty main maximum meticulous mettlesome mighty mindful nervous nice niggling observant observing on fire on the ball on the job open-eared open-eyed openmouthed outrageous passionate penetrating peppy perfervid piercing plenary poignant powerful profound pungent red-hot reeking regardful resolute rich rich-colored rigorous robust rough serious severe sharp sincere smacking snappy spanking spirited splitting steaming steamy strenuous stressed strong take-charge take-over temperamental tense terrible testy thundering total touchy tough trenchant unconscionable unrestrained uptight vehement venomous vibrant vicious vigorous violent virulent vivacious vivid volatile warm watchful white-hot zealous zestful zesty zippy