provoke
to anger, enrage, exasperate, or vex.
to stir up, arouse, or call forth (feelings, desires, or activity): The mishap provoked a hearty laugh.
to incite or stimulate (a person, animal, etc.) to action.
to give rise to, induce, or bring about: What could have provoked such an incident?
Obsolete. to summon.
Origin of provoke
1synonym study For provoke
Other words for provoke
Other words from provoke
- pro·vok·er, noun
- mis·pro·voke, verb (used with object), mis·pro·voked, mis·pro·vok·ing.
- o·ver·pro·voke, verb, o·ver·pro·voked, o·ver·pro·vok·ing.
- pre·pro·voke, verb (used with object), pre·pro·voked, pre·pro·vok·ing.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use provoke in a sentence
People who received the vaccine have also reported fevers, fatigue, aches, or chills—a sign that the vaccine is working as intended to provoke a response from the immune system, experts say.
Here’s where all the COVID-19 vaccine candidates currently stand | Kate Baggaley | December 18, 2020 | Popular-ScienceThese statements provoked public outcry but public health officials note there’s no reason to worry about this specific variant.
There’s a new coronavirus strain in the UK, but don’t panic | Kat Eschner | December 16, 2020 | Popular-ScienceThis is typically the time of year when we roll out a different package, our annual Voice of the Year list, where we set out to determine who provoked the biggest civic dialogues over the past year.
When stressed, injured, starving, or otherwise provoked, the pinky-nail-sized Turritopsis dohrnii skips the whole growing old and dying thing in favor of reverting to infancy.
As long as you are able to provoke your respondents to bring something original to the table, selecting them from other roundup articles is absolutely fine.
Simple guide to creating an expert roundup post that drives website traffic | Ivan Ambrocio | November 26, 2020 | Search Engine Watch
No one remembers a laugh provoker, while even third rate "serious" actors win posthumous praise!
Nat Goodwin's Book | Nat C. GoodwinHe thought of the actor's wife and two babies, especially the one who was his father's "tear provoker."
Spring Street | James H. RichardsonNay, now I have caught you; there was neither inviter, nor provoker, for I was all alone.
One of these venerable first principles is that mystery is the arch provoker.
The Grain Of Dust | David Graham PhillipsSmoked halibut by any other designation would be a thirst-provoker just the same.
The Army Mule and Other War Sketches | Henry A. Castle
British Dictionary definitions for provoke
/ (prəˈvəʊk) /
to anger or infuriate
to cause to act or behave in a certain manner; incite or stimulate
to promote (certain feelings, esp anger, indignation, etc) in a person
obsolete to summon
Origin of provoke
1Derived forms of provoke
- provoking, adjective
- provokingly, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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