prəˈvōk, prōˈ- transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English provoken, from Middle French provoquer, from Latin provocare, from pro- forth + vocare to call — more at pro- , vocation
1.
a. archaic : to stir to a desired feeling or action : move deeply : arouse
your zeal hath provoked very many — 2 Cor 9:2 (Authorized Version)
b. : to incite to anger : incense
enough to provoke a saint
loved to … make his brakes screech just to provoke her — H.H.Reichard
2. archaic : summon , evoke
can honor's voice provoke the silent dust? — Thomas Gray
3.
a. : to call forth (an emotion, action, activity) : bring on : evoke
a device that provoked an unfailing roar of laughter — Saturday Review
his candor provoked a storm of controversy — Times Literary Supplement
no area of school learning provokes as much concern — Education Digest
b. : to stir up on purpose : bring about deliberately
had foreseen and even provoked this invasion — Francis Hackett
did his best to provoke an argument — Lester Atwell
c. : to provide the needed stimulus for : call into being
provoking a vigorous development of logical studies — Times Literary Supplement
not merely anticipated the new methods but actually provoked them — Bryan Morgan
d. : to induce (a physical reaction)
provoke vomiting by tickling the throat
the hit … may provoke the nucleus to eject a particle — G.W.Gray b. 1886
Synonyms:
excite , stimulate , pique , quicken : provoke may center attention on the fact of rousing to action or calling forth a response; often it implies little about cause, manner, or result, but is often used in connection with angry or vexed reactions
his personal emotions, the emotions provoked by particular events in his life — T.S.Eliot
to imagine the emotions and the actions of which she might provoke a man — B.A.Williams
it was not until the end of October that Turkey, by bombarding Russian Black Sea ports, provoked the Allies into declaring war on her — C.E.Black & E.C.Helmreich
excite , sometimes close to provoke, may suggest a more active stirring up, moving profoundly, awakening lively interest, or rousing to marked activity
feeling, which had drugged her until only half of her being was awake, had excited him into an unusual mental activity. He was animated, eager, weaving endless impracticable schemes — Ellen Glasgow
they were interested and excited by this prophetic voice calling for a renaissance in American political life — Bruce Bliven b. 1889
your letter as usual excites my envy at the description of your finds — O.W.Holmes †1935
stimulate applies to the heightening of activity or the rousing of the dominant or quiescent by something that spurs or incites or overcomes whatever makes for inactivity
increasing the supply of liquid assets in order to stimulate spending — W.M.Dacey
extra iron may be supplied to stimulate the formation of red blood cells — Morris Fishbein
his own thought was clarified by the impulse to coherent intelligibility which good teaching stimulates — M.R.Cohen
pique suggests provoking by mild irritation, slight, challenge, rebuff, or inciting curiosity or jealousy
one's interest is piqued but not captured by the chronicle of this weak-willed man — New York Times
the contrast between the pair held puzzles that piqued the inquisitive — Arnold Bennett
quicken applies to a general vivifying, stimulating, or making active, often beneficially
the sound of tuning strings combined with the hum of voices and the flutter of programs to quicken yet more the thrill of expectancy that ran down her veins — Clive Arden
his response was quickened and deepened by his mystical temperament — Times Literary Supplement
with his feeling of history quickened and sharpened, he was to find another stimulus to follow up this interest — Van Wyck Brooks
Synonym: see in addition irritate .