provoke

Borrowed from Middle French provoquer, from Old French, from Latin prōvocāre. Doublet of provocate.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈvəʊk/
• (US) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈvoʊk/
• Rhymes: -əʊk

• Audio (US)

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provoke (third-person singular simple present provokes, present participle provoking, simple past and past participle provoked)

1. (transitive) To cause someone to become annoyed or angry.

   Don't provoke the dog; it may try to bite you.

   • 1577, Raphaell Holinshed [i.e., Raphael Holinshed], “[The Historie of Englande.]”, in The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande. Conteyning, The Description and Chronicles of England, from the First Inhabiting unto the Conquest. The Description and Chronicles of Scotland, from the First Originall of the Scottes Nation, till the Yeare of Our Lorde. 1571. The Description and Chronicles of Yrelande, likewise from the First Originall of that Nation, untill the Yeare. 1547. Faithfully Gathered and Set Forth, volume I, London: Imprinted [by Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Harrison, OCLC 55195564, page 26, columns 1–2:

     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.

   • Bible, Eph. vi. 4

     Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath.

2. (transitive) To bring about a reaction.
   • J. Burroughs

     To the poet the meaning is what he pleases to make it, what it provokes in his own soul.

   • 2011 November 12, “International friendly: England 1-0 Spain”, in BBC Sport‎:

     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.

3. (obsolete) To appeal.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Dryden to this entry?)

• (bring about a reaction): bring about, discompose, egg on, engender, evoke, grill, incite, induce, inflame, instigate, invoke, rouse, set off, stir up, whip up; see also Thesaurus:incite

• provocation
• provocative

• evoke
• invoke
• provocateur
• revoke