We show how the wide range in strengths of intensifying degree
adverbs (e.g. very and extremely) could be explained by
pragmatic inference based on differing cost, rather than differing
semantics. This predicts a linear relationship between the
meaning of intensifiers and their length and log-frequency. We
test this prediction in two studies, using two different dependent
measures, finding that higher cost does predict stronger
meanings. We discuss the implications for adverbial meaning
and the more general question of how extensive non-arbitrary
form-meaning association may be in language.