Showing results for thought-provoking. Search instead for Thought++Provoking.

Synonyms

thought-provoking

American

[thawt-pruh-voh-king] / ˈθɔt prəˌvoʊ kɪŋ /

adjective

causing one to ponder or reflect, as by raising questions or issues, introducing new ideas, etc..

The theater company has gained a reputation for high-quality performances that are both thought-provoking and entertaining.

Other Word Forms

thought-provokingly

adverb

Etymology

Origin of thought-provoking

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This can be thought-provoking or entertaining, and often holds power to account in the same way mainstream journalists do.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

For a while we had fun, slipping into an easy rhythm, having thought-provoking conversations and sharing things about our upbringing that affect us today and ways to break cycles.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 28, 2025

Somewhere in between is where intelligent viewers want to spend most of their time, searching for the experience they would have gotten, years ago, watching a solidly constructed, thought-provoking movie at their local multiplex.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

But I was also told something else that was thought-provoking by a Silicon Valley figure - that it doesn't matter whether there really is a bubble or if it bursts.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's Showboat of 1927 was a turning point in this respect, demonstrating what a well-written, clearly structured musical with a thought-provoking plot could be.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023