intensive meaning and examples

2025-09-04

Meaning

Intensive (adjective) means involving a lot of effort, energy, or resources concentrated in a short time or in a focused way. It suggests something thorough, rigorous, or demanding.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: Adjective

  • Used to describe processes, programs, methods, or activities that require strong effort or focus.

  • Typical structure:

    • intensive + noun (e.g., intensive training, intensive care, intensive course)
    • be intensive (e.g., The course is intensive.)

Common Phrases

  • intensive care – special medical treatment for very ill or injured patients.
  • intensive training – demanding training over a short period.
  • intensive course – a course designed to teach something quickly and thoroughly.
  • labor-intensive – requiring a lot of human work.
  • capital-intensive – requiring a lot of money and equipment.

Collocations

  • intensive study
  • intensive farming
  • intensive effort
  • intensive investigation
  • intensive use

Examples

  1. She joined an intensive English course before moving abroad.
  2. The patient was moved to the intensive care unit after surgery.
  3. Farming in this area has become increasingly labor-intensive.
  4. The project required intensive research before it could begin.
  5. He completed an intensive training program for new managers.
  6. The negotiations were intensive but productive.
  7. This method of farming is highly capital-intensive.
  8. The police carried out an intensive investigation into the case.
  • rigorous
  • thorough
  • demanding
  • exhaustive
  • concentrated
  • in-depth