High intensification
This is expressed by adverbs, adjectives and, exceptionally, nouns:
very: the very latest techniques That’s very kind of you
really: a really good film It was really good
awfully: an awfully nice man He looked awfully tired
most: a most extraordinary performance His ideas are most odd
way: I am way concerned about the environment (AmE) (Cs only)
Some intensifiers, such as very and extremely, can intensify almost any adjective. Others are more limited to specific types of adjectives or to individual ones. The original meaning of some high intensifiers has undergone semantic change. For example, terrifically indicates approval, awfully, terribly and jolly (informal BrE) can intensify both good and bad qualities, while dreadfully and horribly are used only with bad ones. The following are common collocations:
dripping wet; boiling hot; freezing cold; stone deaf; wide awake; fast asleep; frozen stiff; extra special; fully aware; raving mad; highly controversial; radically opposed; eminently suitable; deeply moving; seriously stupid; hugely successful; supremely confident; terrifically good-looking; horribly disfigured.
Quite, which normally expresses a medium degree of intensification, can express a high degree in the sense of indicating a complete degree or extent to which something is the case: I stood quite still. To convey this meaning, quite is spoken with higher pitch and emphasis. Quite always takes on a high degree when it modifies an emotive adjective as in quite amazing, quite incredible, quite disastrous.
medium intensification: He looks quite different in his everyday clothes.
high intensification: You are quite right.
