provoke (prəˈvəʊk
)
Definitions
verb (tr)
- to anger or infuriate
- to cause to act or behave in a certain manner; incite or stimulate
- to promote (certain feelings, esp anger, indignation, etc) in a person
- obsolete to summon
Alternative Forms
proˈvoking adjective proˈvokingly adverbWord Origin
C15: from Latin prōvocāre to call forth, from vocāre to callSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
anger,
insult,
annoy,
offend,
irritate,
infuriate,
hassle,
aggravate,
incense,
enrage,
gall,
put someone out
madden,
exasperate,
vex,
affront,
chafe,
irk,
rile,
pique,
get on someone's nerves
get someone's back up,
piss someone off
put someone's back up,
try someone's patience
nark,
make someone's blood boil
get in someone's hair,
rub someone up the wrong way hack someone off
Quotations
"No-one provokes me with impunity (Nemo me impune lacessit)"
Motto of the Crown of Scotland and of all Scottish regiments
Usage examples
Or, more accurately, to escape from what he feared Tench might provoke him to.
, The Only Game (1991)New Labour's extension of the budgetary process is partly a reflection of its fear that its policies might provoke an unfavourable reaction.
Spiked (2002)I urge you to continue to choose reform, and to resist the Prime Minister's attempt to provoke a phony fight about jurisdiction.
Globe and Mail (2003)Even among the protesters, arguments rage about how far to provoke the police.
Belfast Telegraph (2004)The Soviet Union, driven on from the top, is seeking to devolve power, to provoke argument, to manage change.
, Bedside Guardian 38 (1989)