intensifies

Intensifies is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb intensify. It means to make something stronger, more extreme, or more concentrated. The word is used across domains such as weather, emotions, actions, colors, and sounds. For example, "The storm intensifies as it moves inland," or "Her pain intensifies after the crash."

In linguistics, intensification refers to the semantic process that raises the degree of a property. Intensifiers, such as very or enormously, are often used to accompany intensified adjectives or adverbs, but intensify is the verb form that describes the act of increasing degree.

Etymology: The verb arises from Latin intensus, meaning "made tight or strong," and entered English with the -fy suffix to denote "to cause to become."

Usage notes: intensifies is both transitive and intransitive. It can take a direct object as in "The temperature intensifies the discomfort" or, more commonly, be intransitive as in "The conflict intensifies." It often appears with adverbs that express degree, or with adjectives describing the intensified quality. Synonyms include amplify, deepen, and heighten.