incense
1 Americannoun
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an aromatic gum or other substance producing a sweet odor when burned, used in religious ceremonies, to enhance a mood, etc.
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the perfume or smoke arising from such a substance when burned.
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any pleasant perfume or fragrance.
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homage or adulation.
verb (used with object)
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to perfume with incense.
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to burn incense for.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
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any of various aromatic substances burnt for their fragrant odour, esp in religious ceremonies
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the odour or smoke so produced
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any pleasant fragrant odour; aroma
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rare homage or adulation
verb
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to burn incense in honour of (a deity)
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(tr) to perfume or fumigate with incense
verb
Synonym Usage
See enrage.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of incense1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English encens, incens, from Old French encens, from Late Latin incēnsum, literally, “something kindled,” neuter of incēnsus (past participle of incendere “to set on fire”); see also incendiary
Origin of incense2
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English incensen, ensensen “to fumigate, burn incense,” from Old French encenser, from Latin incēnsus; see incense 1
Explanation
Incense means both "to make angry" and a stick that burns slowly and emits a strong smell. If your new college roommate burns incense in your tiny dorm room, you might get incensed and storm out. How can a word that means a substance that is burned for its sweet odor come to mean "make very angry"? Both have to do with the idea of burning, and the Latin root incendere, "to set on fire." A stick of incense must be lit, or set on fire to release its smell. When you are incensed by something, such as your teacher slamming you with homework on the night of the prom, you feel like you are burning with anger.
Vocabulary lists containing incense
Inside Out & Back Again
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Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Together they lit some incense and munched on muffins and chips and guacamole.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
Inside one, a man held an incense stick over a coffin.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
Joining that group this month is the luxury perfumer Le Labo, which is releasing incense in three of its popular home scents: Santal 26, Encens 9 and Ambroxyde 17.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
They’ve got beautiful stools, striped upholstering, but they also have, you know, soaps and again incense, and just cute things.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
Pong caught the scent of incense cutting through the glorious pork smell.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
Officials in mediating countries said Iran’s rejection incensed them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
There was a catch: The doctor in question had no idea that funds were being solicited or contributed in her name — and she was incensed.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Sanchez was particularly incensed when an 11-acre plot in the city’s Manton neighborhood, on a largely residential street, became a single-story self-storage facility with long rows of garage doors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
One dermatologist was so incensed by my article he told me it had left him with a "feeling of absolute dread and trepidation" about how he was going to manage his Monday morning clinic.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026
Mohammed’s letter incensed her; it insulted her reality.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
"The Post Office Horizon scandal is a story so incensing, outrageous and downright ugly that I found it difficult to watch," she said.
From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2024
Shares of Twitter Inc. slid more than 4% Monday, likely incensing Twitter shareholders who filed a suit against Musk late last month for deflating the price of the stock.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 6, 2022
But Girardi and Lack continued appealing for years, incensing the 9th Circuit’s chief judge and others on the court.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2021
The Bengals kicked a 38-yard field goal with 32 seconds left to avert a shutout, incensing the Ravens.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 16, 2020
These things in the passover abrogate the command against work on the Sabbath: its slaughtering, and the sprinkling of its blood, and purging its inwards, and incensing its fat.
From Hebrew Literature by Wilson, Epiphanius
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
