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Provoke

/prəˈvoʊk/

verbB2

Definition

Provoke means to make someone feel a strong emotion, usually anger or annoyance, by doing or saying something. It can also mean to cause a particular action or response to happen because of what you do.

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See It in Action

To cause someone to feel angry or upset

  • •His rude comment provoked her anger.
  • •The loud noise provoked the baby to cry.
  • •Don’t provoke the dog; it might bite.

To cause a reaction or action to happen

  • •The announcement provoked a lot of questions from the audience.
  • •The new law provoked protests in the city.

Make It Stick

  • ✓Think of 'provoke' like 'make,' but with a strong or difficult reaction, especially feelings like anger or frustration.
  • ✓Picture someone poking a sleeping dog gently but repeatedly until it wakes up and barks loudly.
  • ✓It's the feeling when someone says something to upset you on purpose, making you want to react.
  • ✓Sounds like 'pro-VOKE' → imagine poking (like a small poke) someone to get a reaction out of them.
  • ✓Think of stories where a character says something to start a fight or argument on purpose.
  • ✓NOT like 'help' (which causes good or easy results), provoke causes strong, often negative feelings.
  • ✓NOT like 'encourage' (which supports positive action), provoke often causes irritation or anger.
  • ✓NOT like 'calm' (which makes people peaceful), provoke does the opposite by stirring up feelings.

Try Other Words

  • •Cause: to make something happen (Use when the result is neutral or general)
  • •Trigger: to start a strong reaction or event (Use when the reaction is sudden or strong)
  • •Annoy: to make someone slightly angry (Use when the feeling is mild irritation)
  • •Incite: to encourage bad or violent behavior (Use in formal or serious contexts)

Unboxing

  • •Word parts: 'pro-' (forward, in favor of) + 'voke' (from Latin 'vocare,' meaning to call or voice)
  • •Etymology: From Latin 'provocare,' meaning to call forth or challenge
  • •Historical development: Originally used to mean calling out or challenging someone; later developed to mean causing a reaction or feeling
  • •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe actions or words that cause strong emotional responses, especially anger or irritation
  • •Key insight: The word carries the idea of calling out or stirring up feelings or actions

Reflect & Connect

•Can something positive ever be provoked, or is it always negative? How do you think about this word in different situations?
•How do people decide when to provoke someone, and what effects can it have on relationships?

Fill in the blanks

1.He tried to provoke ___ by saying something mean about her family.
2.Loud noises often provoke ___ in animals, making them scared or angry.
3.Unlike calm words, harsh comments usually provoke ___ feelings.
4.The politician’s speech provoked ___ among the crowd, causing them to shout.
5.When you provoke someone, you often ___ a reaction you did not expect.
6.She did not want to provoke ___, so she stayed quiet during the argument.
7.Provoke is different from "help" because it ___ strong or difficult feelings, not easy or good ones.