intensifications

Intensifications are linguistic devices that increase the perceived strength or degree of a property, action, or event. They are realized through intensifiers, a class of degree modifiers. In English, common intensifiers include very, extremely, utterly, completely, and so. Intensifiers can modify adjectives (very tall), verbs (completely stopped), or entire clauses (So surprising was the result). They raise the scale of the expression and often convey speaker attitude or emphasis.

There are several forms and strategies of intensification. Lexical adverbs such as very or extremely directly modify the target head. Words like so or such function as intensifiers at the clausal or phrasal level. Periphrastic expressions such as to a great extent or beyond belief also express intensified meaning. Some languages employ reduplication, tone, or degree morphemes to achieve a similar effect. Intensification can be stacked, yielding sequences like “very very good,” though such usage is often informal or emphatic rather than standard.

Syntax and semantics: intensifiers typically precede the head they modify in English, though positioning can vary with emphasis. Semantically, they shift the degree on a scale and usually add subjectivity or stance. Negation interacts with intensifiers in predictable ways; for example, not very good conveys a milder degree than not good or not at all good.

Cross-linguistically, intensification is common but realized differently. Some languages rely on dedicated adverbs, others use affixes or reduplication on adjectives or verbs, and some employ tonal or syntactic means to mark stronger meaning. See also degree adverbs, emphasis, and hedge.