Synonyms

provoke

American

[pruh-vohk] / prəˈvoʊk /

verb (used with object)

to anger, enrage, exasperate, or vex.

Synonyms:

infuriate, exacerbate, aggravate, annoy, irk
to stir up, arouse, or call forth (feelings, desires, or activity).

The mishap provoked a hearty laugh.

Synonyms:

instigate, rouse
to incite or stimulate (a person, animal, etc.) to action.
to give rise to, induce, or bring about.

What could have provoked such an incident?
Obsolete. to summon.

provoke British

/ prəˈvəʊk /

verb

to anger or infuriate
to cause to act or behave in a certain manner; incite or stimulate
to promote (certain feelings, esp anger, indignation, etc) in a person
obsolete to summon

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See irritate. See incite.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of provoke

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin prōvocāre “to call forth, challenge, provoke,” equivalent to prō- pro- ¹ + vocāre “to call”; akin to vōx voice

Explanation

Anything that brings about a strong reaction can be said to provoke. You can provoke that lion if you want. But if he responds by attacking, don't come running to me. Let's consider some people who have been known to provoke. Lenny Bruce, was more than just a comedian. He was a "provocateur" who used humor to deliver his controversial diatribes. Humor was his way to provoke people to think. Madonna made her name not only by producing a memorable catalogue of great pop songs, she proved herself to be a master at provoking people through her outrageous attire and lyrics. The moral of this story? It's possible to provoke both positive and negative responses.

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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.

And Messi's tears demonstrated that, even at 39, he is not immune to the emotions football can provoke.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026

Her reporting on Jeffrey Epstein’s network and his 50th birthday book was a finalist for the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service and helped provoke the release of millions of Justice Department documents.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

Recognizing that certain content creators want to provoke rather than reflect reality creates useful cognitive distance.

From Science Daily • Jun. 16, 2026

Another link between EL and the Takbir Foundation underlines how the handler and his fake groups sought to provoke and divide ordinary people.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026

Merely floating the possibility of the role to Lola might provoke a crisis, and could Briony really hold hands with her before the altar, while Jackson intoned from the Book of Common Prayer?

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

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