provoke

Word Type

v. t.

provoke Meaning Definition

To call forth; to call into being or action; esp., to incense to action, a faculty or passion, as love, hate, or ambition; hence, commonly, to incite, as a person, to action by a challenge, by taunts, or by defiance; to exasperate; to irritate; to offend intolerably; to cause to retaliate.

Synonyms for provoke

abet,abrade,activate,affect the interest,affront,agent provocateur,aggravate,agitate,alienate,amplify,anger,animate,annoy,answer back,antagonize,arouse,attract,augment,awaken,badger,bait,be at,bedevil,beset,bestir,blow the coals,bother,breed,bring,bring about,bring on,bristle,brown off,bug,build up,bullyrag,burn up,call forth,call up,cause,chafe,challenge,chivy,come between,compel,concern,contrive,deepen,deteriorate,devil,disaffect,discompose,distemper,distress,disturb,disunite,divide,dog,draw down,draw on,drive,effect,egg on,electrify,elicit,embitter,encourage,engender,enhance,enlarge,enliven,enrage,enthuse,envenom,estrange,evoke,exacerbate,exalt,exasperate,excite,excite interest,exercise,exhilarate,fan,fan the flame,fascinate,fash,feed the fire,ferment,fillip,fire,foment,force,fret,frustrate,gall,galvanize,get,get up,goad,grate,grate on,gravel,gripe,grit,harass,harry,hatch,heat,heat up,heckle,hector,heighten,hot up,hound,huff,impassion,impel,incense,incite,increase,induce,inflame,inform,infuriate,infuse life into,inspire,instigate,insult,intensify,interest,invigorate,invite,involve in,irk,irritate,jazz up,kindle,lead,light the fuse,lip,madden,magnify,make acute,make trouble,make worse,miff,molest,motivate,move,muster up,nag,needle,nettle,nudzh,obtain,occasion,offend,outrage,peeve,persecute,perturb,pester,pick on,pick up,pique,pit against,plague,pluck the beard,pother,prime,procure,produce,promote,prompt,push,put out,put up to,quicken,raise,rally,rankle,rasp,renew,resuscitate,revive,ride,rile,roil,rouse,ruffle,sass,sauce,separate,set,set against,set at odds,set at variance,set on,set on edge,set up,sharpen,sic on,sour,sow dissension,spur on,start,stimulate,stir,stir the blood,stir the embers,stir up,stir up trouble,summon up,superinduce,talk back,tantalize,tease,thrill,tickle,titillate,titivate,torment,trouble,try the patience,tweak the nose,upset,vex,wake,waken,whet,whip up,work up,worry,worsen

Synonym Search Links for provoke

abetabradeactivateaffect the interestaffrontagent provocateuraggravateagitatealienateamplifyangeranimateannoyanswer backantagonizearouseattractaugmentawakenbadgerbaitbe atbedevilbesetbestirblow the coalsbotherbreedbringbring aboutbring onbristlebrown offbugbuild upbullyragburn upcall forthcall upcausechafechallengechivycome betweencompelconcerncontrivedeependeterioratedevildisaffectdiscomposedistemperdistressdisturbdisunitedividedogdraw downdraw ondriveeffectegg onelectrifyelicitembitterencourageengenderenhanceenlargeenlivenenrageenthuseenvenomestrangeevokeexacerbateexaltexasperateexciteexcite interestexerciseexhilaratefanfan the flamefascinatefashfeed the firefermentfillipfirefomentforcefretfrustrategallgalvanizegetget upgoadgrategrate ongravelgripegritharassharryhatchheatheat uphecklehectorheightenhot uphoundhuffimpassionimpelincenseinciteincreaseinduceinflameinforminfuriateinfuse life intoinspireinstigateinsultintensifyinterestinvigorateinviteinvolve inirkirritatejazz upkindleleadlight the fuselipmaddenmagnifymake acutemake troublemake worsemiffmolestmotivatemovemuster upnagneedlenettlenudzhobtainoccasionoffendoutragepeevepersecuteperturbpesterpick onpick uppiquepit againstplaguepluck the beardpotherprimeprocureproducepromotepromptpushput output up toquickenraiserallyranklerasprenewresuscitatereviveriderileroilrouserufflesasssauceseparatesetset againstset at oddsset at varianceset onset on edgeset upsharpensic onsoursow dissensionspur onstartstimulatestirstir the bloodstir the embersstir upstir up troublesummon upsuperinducetalk backtantalizeteasethrilltickletitillatetitivatetormenttroubletry the patiencetweak the noseupsetvexwakewakenwhetwhip upwork upworryworsen