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?