provoked

American  

[pruh-vohkt] / prəˈvoʊkt /

adjective

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of provoke.

Other Word Forms

• unprovoked adjective

Etymology

Origin of provoked

provoke ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

However, their report has also provoked a vicious backlash from equally esteemed scientists who label it as fundamentally flawed.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Or maybe you think about the brutal reaction his work provoked from conservatives.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

Danielle Wiley, one of those early bloggers, recalls how, at a conference in 2006, organizers provoked a furor when they announced that websites within their network would now be eligible to run banner advertising.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

A Reddit-like pseudo social network for OpenClaw agents called Moltbook, where chatbots converse, has also grabbed headlines and provoked soul-searching over AI.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

My voice was now rising in exactly the way I wanted to avoid, but I was provoked by his attitude.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• incensed