provocative
[ pruh-vok-uh-tiv ]
/ prəˈvɒk ə tɪv /
|
adjective
tending or serving to provoke; inciting, stimulating, irritating, or vexing.
noun
something provocative.
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Nearby words
provitamin d2, provo, provocate, provocateur, provocation, provocative, provoke, provoking, provolone, provost, provost court
Origin of provocative
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Late Latin word prōvocātīvus. See provocation, -ive
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for provocatively
British Dictionary definitions for provocatively
provocative
/ (prəˈvɒkətɪv) /
adjective
acting as a stimulus or incitement, esp to anger or sexual desire; provokinga provocative look; a provocative remark
Derived Formsprovocatively, adverbprovocativeness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for provocatively
provocative
mid-15c., "eliciting," from Middle French provocatif (15c.) and directly from Late Latin provocativus "calling forth," from provocat-, past participle stem of Latin provocare (see provoke). Specifically of sexual desire from 1620s. Related: Provocatively; provocativeness. The earliest appearance of the word in English is as a noun meaning "an aphrodisiac" (early 15c.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper