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?