Intensifies

How to spell intensifies

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce intensifies

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does intensifies mean?

1. verbMakes something greater, stronger, or more extreme, or becomes so.

Intensifies in a sentence

• The storm usually intensifies as it moves inland.

• A lack of sleep often intensifies feelings of stress.

Where does intensifies come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This is the third-person singular present form of 'intensify', which was built in English in the early 1800s from the adjective 'intense' plus the verb-forming suffix '-ify', meaning 'to make'. 'Intense' itself came through Old French from the Latin intensus, the past participle of intendere, meaning 'to stretch towards' or 'to strain', from in- 'towards' and tendere 'to stretch'. The underlying image is of something being stretched tight, which is why an intense feeling or effort feels strained and concentrated. The same tendere root gives us 'tension', 'tend', and 'extend', so the spelling keeps that tell-tale 'tens' in the middle. The '-ify' ending follows the regular pattern seen in 'simplify' and 'clarify', and the final 'y' simply turns to 'ies' for the third-person singular.

How the word is built

• in- (towards)
• tens (from Latin tensus: stretched, strained)
• -ify (to make)
• -es (third-person singular ending)