Adjective intensifiers

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

dead lucky

·    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?