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- pronunciation:
- pr
vok
- features:
- Word Combinations (verb), Word Explorer, Word Parts
| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| inflections: |
provokes, provoking, provoked |
| definition 1: |
to incite (a person) to anger, annoyance, deep emotion, or action.
I'd never seen my father this angry, and I wondered what had provoked him.By these demonstrations, they hoped to provoke politicians into taking action.She needs complete rest, and hearing this news will only provoke her.- synonyms:
- agitate, anger, excite, irk, move, rile, stir, vex
- antonyms:
- allay, appease, calm, conciliate, placate, propitiate
- similar words:
- actuate, bait, enrage, exasperate, fire up, impel, incense, incite, induce, infuriate, motivate, needle, nettle, prompt, rouse, work
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| definition 2: |
to arouse or bring out.
The speech provoked anger in the audience.The final scene provoked tears.The intense music provokes a feeling of excitement.- synonyms:
- excite, inflame, inspire, kindle, move, stimulate, stir up
- antonyms:
- allay
- similar words:
- arouse, awaken, galvanize, rouse
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| definition 3: |
to cause or incite as a reaction.
The play provoked much criticism.His comments provoked a violent quarrel among the listeners.- synonyms:
- cause, excite, foment, foster, generate, inspire, instigate
- antonyms:
- deter
- similar words:
- activate, actuate, effect, incite, occasion, pick, produce, prompt, stir, yield
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| related words: |
abet, agitate, anger, annoy, antagonize, badger, bother, bug, challenge, dare, defy, draw, encourage, engender, evoke, excite, fan, frenzy, heckle, inflame, invite, irritate, kindle, lash, madden, miff, move, persecute, precipitate, prod, quicken, spur, tantalize, taunt, tempt, threaten, tickle, vex |
adverb + (v.)provoke
deliberately, inevitably, intentionally, nonetheless, thereby, undoubtedly
(v.)provoke
+ noun
admiration,
aggression,
anger,
anxiety,
attack,
backlash,
bloodshed,
bombing,
clash,
conflict,
confrontation,
controversy,
crisis,
criticism,
cry,
curiosity,
debate,
declaration,
demonstration,
disagreement,
discomfort,
discussion,
disgust,
dispute,
disturbance,
embarrassment,
emotion,
encounter,
evil,
fear,
feeling,
fight,
firestorm,
frustration,
fury,
giggle,
hatred,
hostility,
howl,
incident,
inquiry,
instability,
ire,
irritation,
jealousy,
laugh,
laughter,
neighbor,
objection,
opposition,
outbreak,
outburst,
outcry,
outrage,
panic,
protest,
rage,
reaction,
rebellion,
reflection,
reply,
resentment,
resignation,
resistance,
response,
retaliation,
riot,
round,
sentiment,
skepticism,
speculation,
storm,
strife,
strike,
suspicion,
sympathy,
tear,
tension,
thought,
transformation,
unrest,
uprising,
viewer,
violence,
wrath
[See all][See only the most frequent]
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| derivations: |
provokingly (adv.), provoker (n.) |
The word provoke
contains the following parts:
pro-1
Latin
prefix
that means before, forward, forth
  Example words:
procedure, proceed, proclaim, proclivity, procrastinate, procreate, procumbent, procure, prodigal, produce, profane, profess, proffer, proficient, profound, profuse, progenitor, progeny, progress, project, projectile, prolate, prolix, prominent, promise, promote, promulgate, pronominal, pronoun, propagate, propel, propensity, proponent, proposal, propose, proposition, propound, prorogue, proscribe, prosecute, prospect, prospective, prospectus, protect, protract, protrude, protuberant, proverb, proverbial, provide, provident, proviso, provoke, provost
voc, -voke
Latin
root
that means voice, to call
Example words:
advocate, avocation, convocation, convoke, equivocal, equivocate, evocation, evocative, evoke, invocation, invoke, irrevocable, provoke, revoke, unequivocal, vocable, vocabulary, vocal, vocalic, vocalist, vocation, vociferous
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