This species is characterized by its opposite, lanceolate, shortly petiolate leaves that are usually tough-textured, pedunculate pyramidal thyrsiform inflorescences, apically narrowed but obtuse flower buds, and corollas with tubes 6-14 mm long, tube pink to red, and lobes pink to yellow. The leaves are rounded at the base and have markedly acuminate tips. The flowers are subsessile in short cymes of 3 (i.e., with the terminal flower subsessile and the lateral flowers borne on short axes).

Ixora intensa is similar to Ixora acuminatissima, which has opposite or ternate subsessile leaves, subsessile inflorescences with apparently fasciculate peduncles, and a separate geographical range; the relationship between these may deserve further study. Ixora intensa is also similar to Ixora sandwithiana, with narrower verticillate leaves that are oblanceolate and sharply acute corolla buds. The name Ixora intensa was used by most authors for plants here included in Ixora acuminatissima, and Ixora faroensis was probably considered distinct by Standley because it did not match Ixora acuminatissima. Some plants from the western Amazon basin previously included in Ixora intensa are now separated in Ixora vasquezii.