provokes
|pro-vokes|
🇺🇸
/prəˈvoʊk/
🇬🇧
/prəˈvəʊk/
(provoke)
incite reaction
Etymology
'provoke' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'provocare', where 'pro-' meant 'forth' and 'vocare' meant 'to call'.
'provoke' changed from Old French 'provoquer' and Middle English 'provoken' and eventually became the modern English word 'provoke'.
Initially, it meant 'to call forth' (literally to call out), and over time it evolved into meanings such as 'to cause a reaction', 'to incite', or 'to annoy'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to cause a reaction or response (emotion, action, physiological response).
The politician's statement provokes strong reactions from the public.
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Verb 2
to deliberately annoy or anger someone, often to get a reaction.
Her teasing provokes him until he loses his temper.
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Verb 3
to incite or stimulate someone to take action or behave in a certain way.
The report provokes experts to reexamine the safety procedures.
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Last updated: 2025/08/29 21:33