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Adjective intensifiers

Adjective intensifiers

Date: Oct 04 2007

Topic: Business English

Author: rhyme_reason

Lesson

There are some words which can be used to 'intensify' many adjectives – 'very' 'really' 'totally' 'absolutely' 'completely' 'utterly' 'entirely'.

    • It's very tall.
    • We're really happy.
    • She's totally exhausted.
    • I'm absolutely horrified.
    • He's completely hopeless.
    • You look utterly miserable.
    • I'm entirely satisfied.

Certain adjectives have their own 'special' intensifiers which are often used with them. Here are some common ones:

blind drunk

    • He was blind drunk and behaved really badly.

bone dry

    • I must have a drink. I'm bone dry.

brand new

    • I've just bought a brand new car.

crystal clear

    • The sea near Rhodes is crystal clear.

dead easy

    • That exam was dead easy. I've certainly passed.
    • He's won three lottery prizes this year. He's dead lucky.

dead right

    • I agree entirely. You are dead right.

dirt cheap

    • I bought my car for a dirt cheap price from an old lady who had hardly driven it.

fast asleep / sound asleep

    • I was in bed and fast asleep by nine.
    • I was sound asleep and I didn't hear anything.

paper thin

    • These office walls are paper thin. You can hear everything said in the next office.

pitch black

    • There's no moon. It's pitch black out there.

razor sharp

    • Be careful with that knife- it's razor sharp.

rock hard

    • It's impossible to dig this soil – it's rock hard.

stark naked

    • The hotel door slammed behind me and I was left standing stark naked in the middle of the corridor.

stone deaf

    • He can't hear a thing. He's stone deaf.

wide awake

    • I was wide awake by six.

wide open

    • Who left the door wide open?

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