provoke
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /pɹəˈvəʊk/
ipa: /pɹəˈvoʊk/
ipa: /pɹəˈvəʉk/
rhymes: -əʊk
Forms: form: provokes
form: provoking
form: provoked
form: provoked
Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French provoquer, from Old French, from Latin prōvocāre. Doublet of provocate.
Senses: examples: text: Don't provoke the dog; it may try to bite you.
text: In the meane time it chaunced, that Marcus Papyrius ſtroke one of the Galles on the heade with his ſtaffe, because he preſumed to ſtroke his bearde: with whiche iniurie the Gaulle beeing prouoked, ſlue Papyrius (as he ſate) with hys ſworde, and therewith the ſlaughter being begun with one, all the reſidue of thoſe auncient fatherly men as they ſat in theyr Chayres were ſlaine and cruelly murthered.
ref: 1577, Raphaell Holinshed, “The Historie of Englande”, in The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume I, London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Harrison, →OCLC, page 26, columns 1–2:
text: Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ephesians 6:4:
synonyms: word: harass
word: set off
word: vex
word: aggravate
word: annoy
word: rankle
word: ruffle
word: sting
word: antagonize
word: bother
word: disgruntle
word: botherate
word: bug
word: get
word: grate
word: burn up
word: bedevil
word: cheese off
word: devil
word: exasperate
word: frustrate
word: get up
word: grotch
word: hack off
word: hassle
word: irk
word: irritate
word: jazz
word: molest
word: mommick
word: nark
word: nerve
word: pee off
word: peeve
word: persecute
word: pique
word: piss off
word: provoke
word: rile
word: rile up
word: roil
word: storm
word: test someone's patience
word: tick off
word: trouble
word: try one's patience
word: vex
word: wind up
word: Idioms:
word: boil someone's piss
word: chap someone's hide
word: get on someone's nerves
word: get on someone's tits
word: get on someone's wick
word: get someone's back up
word: get someone's dander up
word: get someone's goat
word: get someone's Irish up
word: get someone's nanny
word: get someone's nanny-goat
word: get under one's goat
word: get under someone's skin
word: give someone the shits
word: grind one's gears
word: harsh one's mellow
word: put someone's back up
word: raise someone's hackles
word: rub someone the wrong way
word: rub up the wrong way
word: ruffle someone's feathers
word: tee off
word: torque off
word: affront
word: aggravate
word: anger
word: antagonize
word: awrath
word: burn up
word: cheese off
word: cross
word: embitter
word: envenom
word: gall
word: get
word: get to
word: honk off
word: incense
word: inflame
word: infuriate
word: madden
word: make angry
word: nark
word: offend
word: outrage
word: provoke
word: put out
word: rankle
word: rile
word: piss off
word: roil
word: set off
word: steam
word: tick off
word: get one's back up
word: get someone's dander up
word: get someone's goat
word: get someone's Irish up
word: make someone see red
word: make someone's blood boil
word: put someone's back up
word: raise someone's hackles
word: raise someone's shag
word: rattle someone's cage
word: rub the wrong way
word: ruffle some feathers
word: set up someone's birse
glosses: To cause someone to become annoyed or angry.
examples: text: To the poet the meaning is what he pleases to make it, what it provokes in his own soul.
ref: 1881, John Burroughs, Pepacton:
text: Thence Sish went forth into the world to destroy its cities, and to provoke his hours to assail all things, and to batter against them with the rust and with the dust.
ref: 1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], The Gods of Pegāna, London: [Charles] Elkin Mathews, […], →OCLC:
text: An old traditional prescription for provoking erotic inclinations ran as follows, The toe of the foot of a man, anointed with oil, or honey, or the ashes of a weasel.
ref: 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 234:
text: Spain were provoked into a response and Villa almost provided a swift equaliser when he rounded Hart but found the angle too acute and could only hit the side-netting.
ref: 2011 November 12, “International friendly: England 1-0 Spain”, in BBC Sport:
synonyms: word: incite
word: inflame
word: instigate
word: whip up
word: abet
word: actuate
word: goose
word: send
word: sting
word: bring about
word: cheer
word: drive
word: encourage
word: egg on
word: engender
word: evoke
word: excite
word: foment
word: goad
word: grill
word: ignite
word: impel
word: incite
word: induce
word: inflame
word: instigate
word: invoke
word: lash
word: motive
word: motivate
word: move
word: obligate
word: oblige
word: push
word: promote
word: prompt
word: provoke
word: rouse
word: set off
word: spark off
word: spur
word: spur on
word: stimulate
word: stir
word: stir up
word: stoke
word: tempt
word: urge
word: whet
word: whip up
glosses: To bring about a reaction.
examples: text: Even Arius and Pelagius durst provoke
To what the centuries preceding spoke.
ref: [1682], [John] Dryden, Religio Laici or A Laymans Faith. A Poem, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC:
glosses: To appeal.
Derived terms: picking quarrels and provoking trouble
provocation
provocative
Related terms: evoke
invoke
provocateur
revoke