Adjective intensifiers

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?

exercise 1

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