different between terrible vs intense

English

Etymology

From Middle English terrible, from Old French, from Latin terribilis (“frightful”), from terre? (“I frighten, terrify, alarm; I deter by terror, scare (away)”). Compare terror, deter.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?t?.??.bl?/, /?t?.??.bl?/
• Homophone: tearable, in some accents

Adjective

terrible (comparative terribler or more terrible, superlative terriblest or most terrible)

1. Dreadful; causing terror, alarm and fear; awesome

2. Formidable, powerful.
   • 1883: Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

     […] and there was even a party of the younger men who pretended to admire him, calling him a "true sea-dog," and "real old salt," and such-like names, and saying there was the sort of man that made England terrible at sea.
3. Intense; extreme in degree or extent.

4. Unpleasant; disagreeable.

5. Very bad; lousy.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:frightening

Antonyms

• (very bad): excellent

Adverb

terrible (comparative more terrible, superlative most terrible)

1. (colloquial, dialect) In a terrible way; to a terrible extent; terribly; awfully.

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• terrible in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• terrible in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• treblier

Catalan

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /t??ri.bl?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /te?ri.ble/

Adjective

terrible (masculine and feminine plural terribles)

1. terrible (causing fear)
2. terrible (formidable, intense)

French

Etymology

From Latin terribilis

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t?.?ibl/

Adjective

terrible (plural terribles)

1. (all senses) terrible
2. (colloquial) great, excellent

Derived terms

• enfant terrible

Related terms

• terreur
• terriblement
• terrifier

Further reading

• “terrible” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin terribilis. Cognate with English terrible.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /te?rible/, [t?e?ri.??le]
• Hyphenation: te?rri?ble

Adjective

terrible (plural terribles)

1. terrible, awful, horrible (very bad)
2. appalling (shocking, causing consternation)
3. terrific (very great or intense)

Derived terms

• terribilísimo
• terriblemente

Related terms

• terror

Further reading

• “terrible” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French intense, from Latin intensus (“stretched tight”), past participle of intendere (“to stretch out”), from in (“in, upon, to”) + tendere (“to stretch”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?t?ns/
• Rhymes: -?ns

Adjective

intense (comparative intenser or more intense, superlative intensest or most intense)

1. Strained; tightly drawn.
2. Strict, very close or earnest.
3. Extreme in degree; excessive.
4. Extreme in size or strength.
5. Stressful and tiring.
6. Very severe.
7. Very emotional or passionate.

Derived terms

Related terms

• intensive

Translations

Further reading

• intense in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• intense in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• intense at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• enseint, sentine, tennesi, tennies

Dutch

Pronunciation

Adjective

intense

1. Inflected form of intens

Anagrams

• niesten

French

Etymology

From Middle French intense. Ultimately from Latin intensus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.t??s/

Adjective

intense (plural intenses)

1. intense

Related terms

Further reading

• “intense” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• seinent, tiennes

Interlingua

Adjective

intense (comparative plus intense, superlative le plus intense)

1. intense

Related terms

• intensitate

Italian

Adjective

intense f pl

1. feminine plural of intenso

Anagrams

• sentine

Latin

Adjective

int?nse

1. vocative masculine singular of int?nsus

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

intense

1. inflection of intens:
   1. definite singular
   2. plural

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

intense

1. inflection of intens:
   1. definite singular
   2. plural