provocateur

[pruh-vok-uh-tur, -toor, praw-vaw-ka-tœr]

noun

plural

provocateurs 

1. a person who provokes trouble, causes dissension, or the like; agitator.

2. (italics),  agent provocateur.

provocateur

/ prəˌvɒkəˈtɜː /

noun

1. a person who deliberately behaves controversially in order to provoke argument or other strong reactions

Word History and Origins

Origin of provocateur¹

1915–20; < French < Latin prōvocātor challenger, appellant, equivalent to provocā ( re ) to provoke + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

Noem was accompanied by right-wing YouTube star Benny Johnson, one of the biggest provocateurs promoting the conservative media doom loop, who was first made infamous after being fired from BuzzFeed News for plagiarism.

From Salon

He was a professed Christian and a provocateur who took his message to places that were often hostile; he welcomed a back-and-forth with those who disagreed with his views.

From Salon

As a conservative provocateur, his style and beliefs frequently drew campus protests and petitions from liberal students and faculty seeking to cancel his appearances.

From Los Angeles Times

But last Friday Russia criticised Western proposals as "one-sided and clearly designed to contain Russia", adding that it turned Kyiv into a "strategic provocateur".

From BBC

For a provocateur like Aster, who has made a name for himself decapitating teenagers and giving audiences a front row seat to ritual solstice suicides, peak COVID-era chaos almost seems like low-hanging fruit.

From Salon

Related Words

• anarchist 
• demagogue 
• firebrand 
• malcontent 
• propagandist 
• protestor www.thesaurus.com
• radical 
• troublemaker 
• zealot