51Թ

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View synonyms for

provoke

[pruh-vohk]

verb (used with object)

provoked, provoking 
  1. to anger, enrage, exasperate, or vex.

    Synonyms: , , , ,
  2. to stir up, arouse, or call forth (feelings, desires, or activity).

    The mishap provoked a hearty laugh.

    Synonyms: ,
  3. to incite or stimulate (a person, animal, etc.) to action.

  4. to give rise to, induce, or bring about.

    What could have provoked such an incident?

  5. Obsolete.to summon.



provoke

/ əˈəʊ /

verb

  1. to anger or infuriate

  2. to cause to act or behave in a certain manner; incite or stimulate

  3. to promote (certain feelings, esp anger, indignation, etc) in a person

  4. obsoleteto summon

“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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Other 51Թ Forms

  • provoker noun
  • misprovoke verb (used with object)
  • overprovoke verb
  • preprovoke verb (used with object)
  • ˈǰ쾱Բ adverb
  • ˈǰ쾱Բ adjective
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of provoke1

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin ōdz “to call forth, challenge, provoke,” equivalent to ō- pro- 1 + dz “to call”; akin to ō voice
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of provoke1

C15: from Latin ōdz to call forth, from dz to call
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Synonym Study

See irritate. See incite.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Worried that an attack by Israel could provoke Iran to retaliate by targeting US military installations nearby, the US had already partially evacuated US embassy staff from Iraq.

From

The president's proposed security-for-minerals deal in war-torn Congo, for example, has provoked a chorus of concern that it doesn't tackle the root causes of the conflict.

From

Solis, 50, said she believed the National Guard was deployed solely to provoke a response that would justify further aggression from federal law enforcement.

From

“He is definitely willing to provoke conflict and to fuel division rather than to move in the opposite way. ... Instead of calming a situation, it’s the opposite. It’s ramping up a situation.”

From

“What we’re seeing in Los Angeles is chaos that is provoked by the administration,” Bass said.

From

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provocativeprovoked