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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Seedfolks
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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:
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
Light a candle or a bit of incense.
From Salon ● May 5, 2026
Positioned between the Airport Park playground and dog park, it combines running water, ceramic vessels, incense and sound.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026
The candle-wick smoke lingered like incense in the dark room.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
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
He had revered the British Museum since he was a teenager and was incensed by the idea that a theft was continuing and that it was being perpetrated by a curator.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
So, when the officials alerted the euphoric crowd that the shot didn’t count and the Bulls had actually lost, the hometown fans were incensed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
Not for the first time this season a Premier League manager was left incensed by a red card for hair pulling.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
After a brief struggle, Wes wrestled free and jumped back from his incensed brother.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
At the same time, two affordable housing projects have stalled, incensing advocates who say the government is leaving homeless people with few options other than leaving town or jail time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2024
"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
Their bond remained so close that the two had a standing weekly lunch at the White House, incensing fellow Cabinet members.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 8, 2022
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
The Aztec festival called 'The incensing of Huitzilopochtli' was about to be celebrated, in which, as it was an important one, nearly all the nobles took part.
From The True Story Book by Lang, Andrew
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.
