Provoke: meaning, definitions and examples
๐ก
provoke
[ prษหvษสk ]
in a conflict
Stimulate or give rise to (a reaction or emotion, typically a strong or unwelcome one) in someone.
Synonyms
antagonize, arouse, incite, inflame, trigger.
Which Synonym Should You Choose?
Word | Description / Examples |
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provoke |
Used when deliberately causing someone to react negatively or aggressively. Often associated with eliciting a strong emotional response.
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incite |
Used when encouraging or stirring up people to act, often in a negative or unlawful manner. Conveys a stronger sense of urging action than 'provoke'.
|
inflame |
Used in severe contexts, often related to heightening strong emotions or tensions, usually negative, such as anger or conflict.
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arouse |
Used to describe stirring up a specific emotion or reaction, often positive or neutral, such as curiosity, interest, or awareness.
|
trigger |
Commonly used to describe something that causes a sudden and strong reaction, often unexpected and negative. Frequently associated with mental health reactions.
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antagonize |
Used in situations where someone is intentionally causing another person to become hostile or unfriendly.
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Examples of usage
- His comments provoked a heated debate among the students.
- The controversial article provoked outrage among the readers.
in a person
Deliberately make (someone) annoyed or angry.
Synonyms
anger, annoy, infuriate, irritate.
Which Synonym Should You Choose?
Word | Description / Examples |
---|---|
provoke |
You provoke someone when you want to elicit a reaction, often intentionally. It can be used in both positive and negative contexts but often implies causing trouble or tension.
|
irritate |
Irritate often means causing discomfort or slight anger, often through repetitive actions or minor issues, causing someone to feel annoyed.
|
annoy |
Annoy refers to causing slight irritation or bother. It's generally less intense than anger or infuriate.
|
anger |
Anger is typically used when you cause someone to feel strong displeasure or hostility. It's a direct term to describe making someone mad.
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infuriate |
To infuriate someone means causing them to become extremely angry. This is a very intense term and indicates a strong reaction.
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Examples of usage
- She was provoked by his constant teasing.
- He knew that bringing up the topic would provoke her.
in animals
Stimulate or give rise to (a reaction or emotion) in an animal.
Synonyms
agitate, enrage, inflame, stir up.
Which Synonym Should You Choose?
Word | Description / Examples |
---|---|
provoke |
Used when causing someone to become annoyed or angry, often intentionally. It doesn't always imply a very intense emotion.
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agitate |
Used when disturbing or upseting someone physically or emotionally. Can also refer to causing anxiety or worry.
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enrage |
Used when making someone extremely angry. It implies a very intense and often uncontrollable emotion.
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stir up |
Used when causing strong emotions or creating trouble. It implies initiating or intensifying certain reactions or situations.
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inflame |
Used when intensifying someone's feelings, often emotions like anger or passion. It can also imply causing a situation to become more heated or severe.
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Examples of usage
- The bull was provoked by the red flag waved by the matador.
- It's important not to provoke wild animals in their natural habitat.
Translations
Translations of the word "provoke" in other languages:
๐ต๐น provocar
๐ฎ๐ณ เคเคเคธเคพเคจเคพ
๐ฉ๐ช provozieren
๐ฎ๐ฉ memprovokasi
๐บ๐ฆ ะฟัะพะฒะพะบัะฒะฐัะธ
๐ต๐ฑ prowokowaฤ
๐ฏ๐ต ๆ็บใใ (chลhatsu suru)
๐ซ๐ท provoquer
๐ช๐ธ provocar
๐น๐ท kฤฑลkฤฑrtmak
๐ฐ๐ท ์ ๋ฐํ๋ค (yubalada)
๐ธ๐ฆ ูุณุชูุฒ (yastafizz)
๐จ๐ฟ provokovat
๐ธ๐ฐ provokovaลฅ
๐จ๐ณ ๆ่ก (tiวoxรฌn)
๐ธ๐ฎ izzivati
๐ฎ๐ธ รถgrandi
๐ฐ๐ฟ ะฐัะฐะฝะดะฐัั
๐ฌ๐ช แแแแแฌแแแแ (gamotsveva)
๐ฆ๐ฟ tษhrik etmษk
๐ฒ๐ฝ provocar
Etymology
The word 'provoke' originated from the Latin word 'provocare', which means 'to call forth'. It entered the English language in the late 14th century. The term has evolved over time to encompass the idea of stimulating a reaction or emotion in someone or something. The concept of provocation has been a key element in understanding human behavior and animal responses in various situations.
See also: provocateur, provocation, provocative, provocatively, provoker, provoking, provokingly, unprovoked.
Word Frequency Rank
Ranked #10,355, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.
- ...
- 10352 rebuilding
- 10353 clung
- 10354 disseminated
- 10355 provoke
- 10356 sow
- 10357 trumpet
- 10358 pretending
- ...