provoked
Americanadjective
-
angered or enraged.
The boys continued to test out the improved model until it was destroyed by a provoked weasel.
For all the hype, the “riot” was actually quite mild—just a few empty beer cans and some stones thrown by an already provoked crowd.
-
stirred up or aroused.
The longtime columnist says that it helps to have an easily provoked sense of indignation.
To avoid being eaten, a provoked pufferfish blows itself up into a spiny living balloon the size of a volleyball.
-
prompted or caused by some action, behavior, or circumstance; brought about, often deliberately.
His laugh was a contagious, easily provoked chuckle.
A provoked bite can occur when a person teases a dog or tries to take away the dog's food while the dog is eating.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of provoked
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.
The dismissal provoked criticism among Ukrainians who credit Mykhailo Fedorov for his efforts to modernize the country’s armed forces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
That conflict provoked a sharp contraction in the manufacturing economy, with the Institute for Supply Management’s purchasing managers index falling to 49.1 by mid-2019.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Her death provoked widespread public grief and anger over the continued activity of paramilitary groups, which plagued the province during three decades of sectarian violence known as the Troubles.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
But it provoked a war that despite the regime's survival has done huge damage to Iran.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
Dazed by the blow and the completely unexpected reaction he had provoked, Ranofer could only stare.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
