INTENSIFIER
INTENSIFIER. In GRAMMAR, a WORD that has a heightening effect (very in very large) or a lowering effect (slightly in slightly fat) on the meaning of the word that it modifies. Words that can be modified in this way are said to be gradable. Intensifying adjectives modify nouns (great in a great fool). Intensifying adverbs mainly modify verbs (greatly in greatly admire), gradable adjectives (extremely in extremely foolish), and other adverbs (somewhat in somewhat slowly). Some intensifiers go with certain gradable words: entirely with agree, deeply with worried, highly with intelligent. See COLLOCATION, IDIOM.
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Word , WORD
WORD A fundamental term in both the general and technical discussion of language. The following selection of primary definitions of word is draw… Keyword , KEYWORD, also key word.
1. A WORD that serves as a crucial (‘key’) element in a usage, phrase, sentence, text, subject, concept, theory, or language:… Loanword , LOANWORD, also loan-word, loan word. A WORD taken into one language from another: in English, garage from French, leitmotif from German. Such words a… Catchword , catch·word / ˈkachˌwərd; ˈkech-/ • n. 1. a briefly popular or fashionable word or phrase used to encapsulate a particular concept: “motivation” is a… Byword , byword •absurd, bird, Byrd, curd, engird, gird, Heard, herd, Kurd, misheard, nerd, overheard, reheard, third, turd, undergird, undeterred, unheard, u… Buzzword , BUZZWORD, also buzz word. An informal term for a word that is fashionable and used more to impress than inform: for example, power with the sense ‘pe…
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INTENSIFIER
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