verb · academic
intensify
/ɪnˈtensɪfaɪ/in·TEN·si·fy
Band 5-6task2speaking
to become or make something stronger, more extreme, or more serious
Examples
“Polarization has intensified political debates in recent years.”
“They intensified their efforts to meet the deadline.”
“Weather conditions intensified, making travel hazardous.”
Band 8 sentence
“As drought conditions worsened, authorities intensified water rationing to protect essential supplies.”
Collocations
- intensify efforts
- intensify pressure
- intensify conflict
Word family
intensify verbintense adjectiveintensity nounintensively adverbintensive adjective
Common mistakes
intensify up→intensify / intensify efforts
The rain intensify yesterday→The rain intensified yesterday
Say it for a higher band
5increase→6heighten→7+intensify
Synonyms
heighten
escalate
Easily confused
escalate
“Tensions between the two countries have escalated in recent months.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In -ify
Learn it with its set