English Reference
Verb

incensed

v.
C1 Advanced US /ˈɪnˌsɛnst/ UK /ɪnsˈɛnsd/ in·censed

v.extremely angry or annoyed. You use this when someone is so upset that they might lose their temper.

v.extremely angry or annoyed; filled with a sense of righteous or intense fury. Often used to describe a reaction to a perceived slight or injustice.


SIMPLE

He was incensed when he found out about the mistake.

CONTEXTUAL

The local residents were incensed by the sudden increase in property taxes without any public consultation.

COMPLEX

The diplomat was visibly incensed by the ambassador's refusal to acknowledge the previous treaty, leading to a sharp and public exchange of words in the hall.

The Canadian public has also been incensed by US policy towards their country, particularly Trump’s comments about turning Canada into the 51st US state.

The Guardian· 22 Aug 2026

She is incensed at Frazer’s refusal to move from their mould-infested block to the new council house they’ve been assigned.

The Guardian· 12 Aug 2026

See incense.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated