Translation guide
How to express that something becomes stronger, more forceful, or more extreme over time in Japanese.
To say that a phenomenon (wind, rain, emotion, activity, etc.) becomes stronger or more intense.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to get stronger, intensify'. Used for wind, rain, feelings, pressure, etc.
風が強まってきた。
The wind is growing in intensity.
台風の勢力が強まっている。
The typhoon is intensifying.
Common phrase meaning 'to become violent/intense'. Used for rain, wind, emotions, arguments, etc.
雨が激しくなってきた。
The rain is getting heavier.
議論が激しくなった。
The argument grew in intensity.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to increase, to grow'. Often used for abstract things like pressure, tension, speed.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to rise, to build up'. Often used for emotions, expectations, awareness.
期待が高まっている。
Expectations are growing.
緊張が高まった。
The tension mounted.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to deepen'. Used for relationships, understanding, autumn, night.
秋が深まってきた。
Autumn is deepening (growing in intensity).
To express that a feeling, pain, or sensation becomes stronger.
General phrase for emotions or sensations becoming stronger.
不安が強くなった。
My anxiety grew in intensity.
痛みが強くなってきた。
The pain is getting worse.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to grow stronger' for emotions like longing, anxiety, or loneliness. Often used in written or slightly literary contexts.
恋しさが募る。
My longing grows stronger.
不安が募るばかりだ。
My anxiety only grows.
Same as 募る but often written in kana. Used for emotions.
寂しさがつのる。
Loneliness intensifies.
To say that a situation, conflict, or activity becomes more intense or heated.
Suru-verb meaning 'to intensify, to escalate'. Used for conflicts, competition, protests.
紛争が激化している。
The conflict is intensifying.
競争が激化した。
Competition grew in intensity.
Loanword meaning 'to escalate'. Often used for conflicts or situations getting out of control.
喧嘩がエスカレートした。
The fight escalated.
Suru-verb meaning 'to become heated, to intensify' for discussions, debates, games.
議論が白熱してきた。
The debate is heating up.
Specifically for weather, natural disasters, or environmental conditions becoming stronger.
As above, very common for wind, rain, typhoons.
雨足が強まってきた。
The rain is falling harder.
Common for rain, wind, snow, waves.
吹雪が激しくなった。
The snowstorm intensified.
Phrase meaning 'to gain strength', often used for typhoons or storms in news.
台風が勢力を増しながら北上している。
The typhoon is moving north while growing in intensity.
Both mean 'to intensify', but 強まる (tsuyomaru) focuses on strength/power, while 激しくなる (hageshiku naru) emphasizes violence or roughness. For wind, 強まる is more about wind speed, 激しくなる about gustiness or destructive force.
Do not directly translate 'grow in intensity' as 強度が成長する (kyōdo ga seichō suru). That sounds unnatural. Use the verbs above.