provocative

Language: en

🇺🇸 /proʊˈvɑkətɪv/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    Causing anger, annoyance, or another strong reaction, especially deliberately; tending to provoke.; Arousing sexual desire or interest; sexually stimulating.; Stimulating thought or discussion; intellectually challenging or thought-provoking.; Serving or tending to excite, stimulate, or incite action or feeling.; Intended or likely to cause a physical reaction, such as an allergic response or irritation.
  2. noun
    Something that provokes or incites; a stimulus or incitement.

🔗 Details

Word forms

Comparative: more provocative Superlative: most provocative

Collocations

provocative statementprovocative questionprovocative behaviorprovocative remarkprovocative dressthought-provocative

Derivatives

provokeprovocationprovocativelyprovocativenessprovocateur

Synonyms

incendiaryinflammatorystimulatingthought-provokingchallengingprovoking

Antonyms

inoffensiveblandunprovocative

Commonly confused

provoking
EN: 'Provoking' emphasizes causing anger or irritation, while 'provocative' can also mean deliberately stimulating thought or challenging conventions.
provocateur
EN: 'Provocateur' is a noun referring to a person who provokes, while 'provocative' is an adjective describing something that provokes.

Spelling tips

EN: Note the shift from 'provoke' (with 'e') to 'provocative' (with 'a' before '-tive'). Do not write 'provocitive' or 'provokative'.

💬 Examples

  1. The politician made a provocative statement that sparked widespread outrage.

  2. She wore a provocative dress to the party that turned many heads.

  3. The professor's provocative lecture challenged many long-held assumptions about economics.

  4. The provocative pamphlets distributed in the square urged citizens to rise up against the regime.

  5. The provocative test involved applying a small amount of the allergen to the skin to observe the reaction.

  6. The controversial artwork served as a provocative that ignited debate across the city.