incensed
in-SENST
/ɪnˈsɛnst/
Extremely angry; enraged.
Suggests being inflamed with passion or fury as if set on fire by a clear injustice or insult.
The story behind the word. Incensed shares its origins with the aromatic sticks burned in rituals. Both derive from Latin 'incendere' (to burn or set on fire). While one line of development gave us the aromatic smoke, the figuratively 'ignited' mind gave us the adjective meaning white-hot with rage.
Word relationships
- infuriated: Infuriated suggests driving someone into a madness of rage, whereas incensed focuses on the burning sensation of outrage.
- mollified: Mollified means softened or appeased from anger.
Commonly confused with
- incense: As a noun, incense refers to aromatic materials burned for perfume; as an adjective/verb, incensed means enraged.
Word family
- incense (verb): To make someone extremely angry.
Collocations
- incensed by
- incensed public
- incensed citizens
Idioms & expressions
- add fuel to the fire
Example sentences
- "Citizens were incensed by the government's unexpected breach of the peace treaty." Political response
- "The board members were incensed when they discovered the hidden financial liabilities." Workplace governance
Memory hook
When someone is INCENSED, their inner fire burns like hot INCENSE. Set on fire with anger.
When not to use
Avoid using it to describe physical incense burning unless clear context indicates the verb form.
Fun facts
- The root 'incendere' is also the source of the word 'incendiary'.
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