as in enraged
feeling or showing anger
incensed residents demanded that the police apprehend the punks who vandalized the cemetery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in infuriated
to make angry
the insult so incensed him that he had to be restrained from hitting the guy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scented
to fill or infuse with a pleasant odor or odor-releasing substance
the gift shop was heavily incensed with a cloying mixture of herbal essences
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of incensed
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
House Democratic Leader Karen Camper, D-Memphis, became incensed.
—Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 31 Oct. 2025
Songwriters are even more incensed, having to split their declining earnings with co-writers and taking a backseat to the producers and rights-holders who are out for their own pieces of the pie.
—Roy Trakin, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 12 Feb. 2026
In 2018, Red Bull’s Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen was left incensed with Force India’s Esteban Ocon after the pair came together on lap 44 of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Diabate got incensed again and stormed toward Duren just in front of the crowd opposite the Hornets’ bench, leading to Hornets head of security Tony Datcher trying to hold Diabate back.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 10 Feb. 2026
Democrats were incensed after Pretti’s killing and demanded that one of the six remaining funding bills, for DHS and its associated agencies, be stripped from the package passed by the House.
—Meg Kinnard, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
Given that as many as a hundred thousand people escaped slavery and found refuge in free states in the nineteenth century, fugitives represented a population residing illegally within largely sympathetic communities—a fact that incensed hard-liners on the slavery issue.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
They were particularly incensed she was being freed while Paul Whelan, a Marine veteran also imprisoned at the time, was not, even though as the film makes clear, Griner went out of her way in her letter to Biden from prison to ask for Whelan’s and others’ release too.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
Protesters were further incensed on Wednesday evening when ICE agents in Minneapolis shot a Venezuelan immigrant in the leg during an attempted arrest.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 15 Jan. 2026
Bardot’s cold and distant mother was incensed.
—Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 29 Dec. 2025
Adjective
That morning, Barmore allegedly became incensed over the air conditioning being set at 70 degrees instead of 68 and again when his daughter wanted to visit him in his bedroom.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
House Democratic Leader Karen Camper, D-Memphis, became incensed.
—Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 31 Oct. 2025
Songwriters are even more incensed, having to split their declining earnings with co-writers and taking a backseat to the producers and rights-holders who are out for their own pieces of the pie.
—Roy Trakin, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
Far-right commentators were predictably incensed by Carton’s decision to call things off with the more politically ambivalent Ben Mezzenga.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 12 Feb. 2026
In 2018, Red Bull’s Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen was left incensed with Force India’s Esteban Ocon after the pair came together on lap 44 of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Diabate got incensed again and stormed toward Duren just in front of the crowd opposite the Hornets’ bench, leading to Hornets head of security Tony Datcher trying to hold Diabate back.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 10 Feb. 2026
Democrats were incensed after Pretti’s killing and demanded that one of the six remaining funding bills, for DHS and its associated agencies, be stripped from the package passed by the House.
—Meg Kinnard, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
Given that as many as a hundred thousand people escaped slavery and found refuge in free states in the nineteenth century, fugitives represented a population residing illegally within largely sympathetic communities—a fact that incensed hard-liners on the slavery issue.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
They were particularly incensed she was being freed while Paul Whelan, a Marine veteran also imprisoned at the time, was not, even though as the film makes clear, Griner went out of her way in her letter to Biden from prison to ask for Whelan’s and others’ release too.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
Protesters were further incensed on Wednesday evening when ICE agents in Minneapolis shot a Venezuelan immigrant in the leg during an attempted arrest.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 15 Jan. 2026
Bardot’s cold and distant mother was incensed.
—Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 29 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incensed
Adjective
-
Latinx people of conscience recognize our own tios, tias, primos, primas, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers in the brown faces being livestreamed with blood and agony pouring into enraged mouths asking for help.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
-
However, her direct and outspoken approach has also led to controversy, with enraged officials in Honduras once wanting to declare her persona non grata.—
Yamlek Mojica Loaisiga,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Colt Gray sent grandmother concerning texts In her testimony, Polhamus reviewed several angry, vulgar text messages from Colt Gray that showed his spiraling mental health and penchant for outbursts.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
When Fiyero chooses to leave with Elphaba, Glinda’s left heartbroken and angry.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In lieu of any local angle or a national controversy to get outraged over, what’s a sports columnist to do to fill space on a lazy sports Sunday in the middle of February?—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Much of his nascent mayoral campaign has focused on sincere, outraged messaging about governmental fraud and waste.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Police said the two male juveniles became angered when the other three would not take them to buy marijuana.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Soon, the faces of the angered New York City citizens around her soften.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Depictions of such raw humanity have the capacity to shape us into more compassionate community members, more thoughtful voters and more indignant seekers of justice.—
Anya Sesay,
jsonline.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
By documenting not just his actions but showing the privilege his race, religion and background afford him in comparison to his colleagues, the film reveals the inherent inequality in whose stories get told, and who’s allowed to be angry, indignant and morally correct.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Right next to that is a showcase for Rubin’s frenetic playing in the form of a furious pattern over slashing guitars.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Two other high-ranking music executives from outside the company, who also spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity to maintain relationships there, said talent and agents at Wasserman Music are furious, and planning exits if Wasserman stays much longer.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Pederson is something of a mad scientist with bats.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s beloved novel has been driving people mad since the project was first announced.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And many people are gonna go ballistic in Brazil.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Police said officers shot the suspect and his grandmother during the gunfight, and that the suspect also hit one officer in the ballistic vest.—
Chase Rogers,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incensed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incensed. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
