Intensifiers

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Intensifiers

 
We use words like very; really and extremely to make adjectives stronger:
It’s a very interesting story
Everyone was very excited.
It’s a really interesting story.
Everyone was extremely excited
We call these words intensifiers. Other intensifiers are:
amazingly - exceptionally - incredibly - remarkably - particularly
We also use enough as an intensifier, but enough comes after its adjective:
If you are seventeen you are old enough to drive a car.
I can’t wear those shoes. They’re not big enough.

Intensifiers with strong adjectives:

When we want to describe something or someone as exceptional you can use a strong adjective. Strong adjectives are words like:
Enormous; huge = very big
Tiny = very small
Brilliant = very clever
Awful; terrible; disgusting; dreadful = very bad
Certain = very sure
Excellent; perfect; ideal; wonderful; splendid = very good
Delicious = very tasty
We do not use very with these adjectives. We do not say something is "very enormous" or someone is "very brilliant".

With strong adjectives, for intensifiers we normally use:
 absolutely - exceptionally - particularly - really - quite
The film was absolutely awful.
He was an exceptionally brilliant child.
The food smelled really disgusting.
Warning!

Intensifiers with particular adjectives

Some intensifiers go with particular adjectives depending on their meaning:
I’m afraid your wife is dangerously ill.
He was driving dangerously fast.
The car was seriously damaged.
Fortunately none of the passengers was seriously hurt
Some intensifiers go with particular adjectives. For example we use the intensifier highly with the adjectives successful, intelligent, likely and unlikely:
He was highly intelligent.
She’s a highly successful businesswoman
… but we do not say:
We had a highly tasty meal.
That is a highly good idea.
We use the intensifier bitterly with the adjectives disappointed, unhappy and cold:
I was bitterly unhappy at school.
We were bitterly disappointed to lose the match.
It can get bitterly cold in winter.
You need to use your dictionary to find what sort of nouns these intensifiers go with.

 Intensifiers with comparatives and superlatives:

We use these words and phrases as intensifiers with comparative adjectives:
much - far -  a lot - quite a lot - a great deal - a good deal - a good bit - a fair bit
He is much older than me.
New York is a lot bigger than Boston.
We use much and far as intensifiers with comparative adjectives in front of a noun:
France is a much bigger country than Britain.
He is a far better player than Ronaldo.
We use these words as intensifiers with superlatives:
easily - by far - far
The blue whale is easily the biggest animal in the world.
This car was by far the most expensive.

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