Having great strength, force, or concentration; existing in a high degree or extreme form.
From Latin 'intensus', past participle of 'intendere' meaning 'to stretch out, strain'. The sense evolved from physical stretching to metaphorical stretching of qualities to their extreme limits.
The word shares its root with 'intention' and 'attention' - all involve stretching or directing something toward a goal. Intense experiences literally 'stretch' our normal capacity to process emotions or sensations.
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