WordVale

provoke

/prəˈvoʊk/  ·  say it: pruh·VOHK

to stimulate a reaction, often anger

In Actions & Behavior

In more detail

1. (verb) to cause someone to become angry or annoyed

2. (verb) to deliberately try to make someone react or do something, often by challenging or annoying them

3. (verb) to cause or bring about a particular reaction or situation

Examples

• 1. His rude comments provoked her to angry words.
• 2. The protesters provoked the police by throwing rocks.
• 3. The scandal provoked a government investigation.

Nearby in Actions & Behavior

amplify, curtail, suppress, appease, placate, reconcile