incense
gb/ˈɪnsɛns/ us/ˈɪnsɛns/
B2
English
~ 7400
felháborít, feldühít, füstölő, füstölő füstje, füstölő illata, tömjénfüst
VERB
C1
FORMAL
1
felháborít
B2
feldühít
B1
Usage pattern:
to incense [someone]
The new parking fees incensed local residents.
Az új parkolási díjak felháborították a helyi lakosokat.
Fans were incensed by the referee's decision in the final minute.
A szurkolókat felháborította a játékvezető döntése az utolsó percben.
Her dismissive comment about the volunteers incensed the entire committee.
The cutbacks to health services have incensed many voters.
He was incensed at being blamed for a mistake he did not make.
Learner examples
The teacher's unfair words incensed the students.
A tanár igazságtalan szavai felháborították a diákokat.
Many workers were incensed by the sudden pay cut.
Sok dolgozót felháborított a hirtelen fizetéscsökkentés.
She was incensed when she heard the rude joke.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the verb "incense" with the noun "incense" (the thing you burn for a nice smell). As a verb, the stress is usually on the second syllable (in-CENSE), and it always means "to make very angry," not "to make something smell good." Learners also sometimes try to use it with an infinitive, like *"The news incensed him to leave"*; instead say "The news incensed him" or "The news made him leave."
Meaning
to make someone extremely angry
Collocations
incense the crowd
|incense customers
|incense public opinion
|deeply incensed
|incensed by the decision
|incensed at the remarks
Synonyms
anger (More common and general; less strong and less formal than "incense.")
|
enrage (Very strong anger, similar in intensity to "incense" but a bit more common.)
|
outrage (Stresses anger caused by something shocking or morally wrong.)
Antonyms
calm (Means to make someone feel more relaxed and less angry, the opposite of incensing them.)
|
soothe (Focuses on gently reducing strong negative feelings, including anger.)
Themes
emotions
|conflict
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
to make someone very, very angry, usually because something feels wrong or unfair
To cause someone to feel extremely angry, often because something seems unfair or offensive.
NOUN
B2
2
füstölő
B1
Usage pattern:
to burn incense
The temple was filled with the smell of burning incense.
A templomot betöltötte az égő füstölő illata.
She lit a stick of lavender incense to relax after work.
Munka után meggyújtott egy levendulás füstölőpálcát, hogy ellazuljon.
Vendors were selling candles, incense, and other small gifts outside the shrine.
They burned incense in the living room to cover the smell of smoke.
A thin line of incense ash had fallen onto the table.
Learner examples
We burned incense in the room to make it smell nice.
Füstölőt égettünk a szobában, hogy kellemes illat legyen.
He bought a box of incense sticks at the market.
Egy doboz füstölőpálcikát vett a piacon.
She lit some incense before she started to meditate.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes treat "incense" as a regular countable noun and say *"an incense"* or *"many incenses"*. In most cases, "incense" is uncountable: say "some incense" or "a stick of incense." Use countable nouns like "stick," "cone," or "coil" to talk about individual pieces.
Meaning
fragrant material burned for smell
Collocations
burn incense
|light incense
|incense stick
|stick of incense
|incense burner
|sandalwood incense
Synonyms
fragrant smoke (Describes the pleasant-smelling smoke from burning incense in more general, everyday words.)
|
aromatic resin (More technical and specific; some types of incense are made from resins.)
Antonyms
stench (Refers to a very bad smell, contrasting with the pleasant smell produced by incense.)
Themes
religion
|daily life
|culture
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
a material that you burn so that it gives a nice smell, often used in religion, meditation, or to make a room smell good
A substance, often made of aromatic plant materials or oils, that is burned to produce a pleasant smell, especially during religious ceremonies, meditation, or for relaxation.
NOUN
C1
3
Usage pattern:
incense filled [a place]
Incense hung in the air long after the ceremony ended.
A füstölő illata még sokáig a levegőben maradt a szertartás után.
The chapel was dark, with incense and candlelight all around us.
A kápolna sötét volt, körülöttünk tömjénfüst és gyertyafény.
She opened a window because the incense was too strong for her.
Their clothes carried the faint incense of the festival all day.
The room was quiet, filled only with soft music and incense.
Learner examples
Incense filled the small room during the prayer.
Ima közben a füstölő illata betöltötte a kis szobát.
The smell of incense stayed in my hair.
A füstölő illata a hajamban maradt.
We walked into the hall and could feel the incense in the air.
Common mistake:
This sense is often not clearly separated from the noun meaning of "incense" as a substance. Learners may not realize that "incense" can refer both to the material and to the smoke and smell it produces; the difference is decided by context, and both are usually uncountable.
Meaning
the smoke and smell of incense
Collocations
smell of incense
|thick incense
|clouds of incense
|incense filled the air
|air heavy with incense
Synonyms
perfumed smoke (Describes the same idea in simpler, more descriptive words.)
Antonyms
fresh air (Describes air without smoke or heavy smells, opposite to air thick with incense.)
Themes
religion
|senses
|environment
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
the smoke and smell in the air when incense burns
The smoke and fragrance that fill the air when incense is burning.
Grammar
Dictionary form
incense
IPA
GB/ˈɪnsɛns/
US/ˈɪnsɛns/
Syllables & stress
in - cense (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (in)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: incense
- Plural: incense
Verb
- Base: incense
- 3rd Person Singular: incenses
- Present Participle: incensing
- Past: incensed
Word family
Forms
incenses
verb
incensing
verb
incensed
verb
Expressions
burn incense
1/bˈɚn ˈɪnsɛns/
fixed phrase
to burn incense for smell
to light incense so that it burns and makes a smell, often during prayer, meditation, or to make a room smell nice
Examples
- They burn incense in the house every evening before dinner.
- Visitors are asked not to burn incense inside the small wooden temple.
clouds of incense
1/klˈaʊdz əv ˈɪnsɛns/
fixed phrase
literary
large amounts of incense smoke
a lot of incense smoke in the air that you can clearly see
Examples
- Clouds of incense drifted through the crowded temple.
- The stage was filled with clouds of incense during the performance.
incense burner
1/ˈɪnsɛns bˈɚnɚ/
fixed phrase
container for burning incense
a special holder or container where you put incense while it burns
Examples
- The metal incense burner was shaped like a small dragon.
- Ash spilled out of the old incense burner onto the table.
incense stick
1/ˈɪnsɛns stˈɪk/
fixed phrase
a thin stick of incense
a long, thin piece of incense that you burn to make a smell
Examples
- She placed an incense stick in the holder and lit the tip.
- The shop sells incense sticks in many different scents.
light incense
1/lˈaɪt ˈɪnsɛns/
fixed phrase
to start incense burning
to use a match, lighter, or candle to make incense start to burn
Examples
- She lit incense and sat down to meditate.
- Before the ceremony, an attendant quietly lit incense at the front of the hall.
stick of incense
1/stˈɪk əv ˈɪnsɛns/
fixed phrase
a single incense stick
one incense stick; one long, thin piece of incense
Examples
- He lit a stick of incense and placed it on the altar.
- Please take one stick of incense and bow three times.