incense

1 of 3

noun

in·​cense ˈin-ˌsen(t)s How to pronounce incense (audio)
1
: material used to produce a fragrant odor when burned
2
: the perfume exhaled from some spices and gums when burned
broadly : a pleasing scent
3
: pleasing attention : flattery

incense

2 of 3

verb (1)

in·​cense ˈin-ˌsen(t)s How to pronounce incense (audio)
incensed; incensing

transitive verb

1
: to apply or offer incense to
2
: to perfume with incense

incense

3 of 3

verb (2)

in·​cense in-ˈsen(t)s How to pronounce incense (audio)
incensed; incensing

transitive verb

1
: to arouse the extreme anger or indignation of
2
archaic : to cause (a passion or emotion) to become aroused

Examples of incense in a Sentence

Noun the heavenly incense of spring flowers count on the office manager to spread the incense whenever there's a visiting VIP from the head office Verb (1) the gift shop was heavily incensed with a cloying mixture of herbal essences Verb (2) the insult so incensed him that he had to be restrained from hitting the guy
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Hand-poured in Los Angeles, this new candle offers notes of heliotrope, jasmine, lemon peel, neroli, white moss, and incense amongst others. Felicity Carter, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 Cities affected by the alert included Indio, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, La Quinta and Coachella. To help keep indoor air clean when air quality is poor, officials advised avoiding additional sources of pollution such as fireplaces, candles, and incense. Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
Verb
No doubt that White House aide Stephen Miller, incensed by the possibility that some hard-working immigrants might be left alone, cornered the president and badgered him into rescinding brief and limited restrictions in service to his goal of having immigration agents make 3,000 arrests per day. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 18 June 2025 Steve Davis, incensed, started reaching out to senior S.S.A. officials. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for incense

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English encens, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin incensum, from Latin, neuter of incensus, past participle of incendere to set on fire, from in- + -cendere to burn; akin to Latin candēre to glow — more at candid entry 1

Verb (2)

Middle English encensen, probably from Latin incensus, past participle of incendere to set on fire, provoke

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of incense was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Incense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incense. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

incense

1 of 2 noun
in·​cense ˈin-ˌsen(t)s How to pronounce incense (audio)
1
a
: material used to produce a fragrant odor when burned
b
: the odor so produced
2
: a pleasing scent

incense

2 of 2 verb
in·​cense
in-ˈsen(t)s
incensed; incensing
: to make very angry

More from Merriam-Webster on incense

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