Intensive (Noun)
Meaning
A modifier that has little meaning except to intensify the meaning it modifies; "`up' in `finished up' is an intensifier"; "`honestly' in `I honestly don't know' is an intensifier".
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The word "really" is an intensifier in the sentence "I'm really tired" and doesn't add much meaning on its own.
- In the phrase "totally destroyed", "totally" is an intensifier that emphasizes the extent of the destruction.
- The intensifier "extremely" in the sentence "The weather is extremely hot" amplifies the degree of heat.
- The word "incredibly" is an intensifier in the sentence "The new restaurant is incredibly good" and serves to emphasize the speaker's opinion.
- In the sentence "I'm absolutely exhausted", the word "absolutely" is an intensifier that adds emphasis to the speaker's state of tiredness.