Adverbs of Intensity: Understanding and Using Them in Everyday English

 Adverbs of intensity are words or phrases that add emphasis to adjectives or verbs, making them stronger or, in some cases, weaker. These adverbs are essential for expressing degrees of intensity in English, allowing us to convey subtle differences in meaning and tone. This guide will explain how to use them effectively, provide practical examples, and highlight key rules.

---

What Are Adverbs of Intensity?

Adverbs of intensity are words that modify adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs to amplify or reduce their impact. They can express strong, medium, or weak levels of intensity depending on the situation.

Examples of Common Intensifiers:

• Strong: absolutely, completely, extremely, totally
• Medium: fairly, quite, rather
• Weak: slightly, a bit

---

Strengthening Meaning with Adverbs of Intensity

When you want to emphasize or enhance the meaning of an adjective, intensifiers are very useful. Here are some common examples:

• Very: “Kate is very beautiful.”
  (Here, very strengthens the adjective beautiful.)
• Really: “Michael can run really fast.”
  (In this case, really adds emphasis to the verb run.)
• Extremely: “Sharks are extremely dangerous.”
  (The use of extremely heightens the sense of danger.)

---

Using Strong Adjectives with Intensifiers

When describing something exceptional or extreme, strong adjectives such as enormous (very big) or brilliant (very intelligent) are more appropriate. With these adjectives, we avoid using very because the meaning is already intensified. Instead, we use adverbs like absolutely or exceptionally.

Examples:

• “Their house is absolutely enormous.”
• “Her son is exceptionally brilliant.”
• “The dinner you made was really marvelous.”

---

Matching Intensifiers with Specific Adjectives

Certain intensifiers work best with particular adjectives. This pairing creates expressions that sound natural to native English speakers.

Examples:

• Dangerously: “She drove dangerously fast.”
• Highly: “He is highly intelligent.”
• Seriously: “The building was seriously damaged.”
• Bitterly: “She felt bitterly disappointed.”

---

Weakening Meaning with Mitigators

While intensifiers strengthen meaning, mitigators reduce it. Words like fairly, quite, and rather soften the impact of an adjective or verb.

Examples:

• “The movie was fairly boring.”
• “The students were rather quiet in class.”
• “It’s a pretty nice day.”

---

Practical Tips for Using Adverbs of Intensity

1. Choose the Right Adverb for the Context:
   Consider whether the situation requires a strong, medium, or weak intensity. For instance:
   • "The exam was extremely difficult" conveys more stress than "The exam was quite difficult."

2. Avoid Overusing Strong Intensifiers:
   Save words like absolutely and incredibly for situations that truly warrant emphasis. Overuse can dilute their impact.

3. Learn Common Collocations:
   Some intensifiers naturally pair with certain adjectives. For example:
   • Highly successful vs. dangerously successful (unnatural).
   • Bitterly cold vs. very cold (less impactful).

---

Conclusion

Mastering adverbs of intensity will greatly enhance your ability to express emotions, opinions, and observations in English. By understanding their function and practicing their use, you can add variety and depth to your communication.