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provoke

Syllabification: (pro·voke)

Pronunciation: /prəˈvōk/

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Definition of provoke

verb

[with object]

stimulate or give rise to (a reaction or emotion, typically a strong or unwelcome one) in someone:the decision provoked a storm of protest from civil rights organizations
stimulate or incite (someone) to do or feel something, especially by arousing anger in them:a teacher can provoke you into working harder
deliberately make (someone) annoyed or angry:Rachel refused to be provoked

Derivatives

provokable
provoker

Origin:

late Middle English (also in the sense 'invoke, summon'): from Old French provoquer, from Latin provocare 'challenge', from pro- 'forth' + vocare 'to call'

provoke in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of provoke in the British & World English dictionary

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Other

provoke

verb

Derivatives

provokable

provoker

Origin:

provoke in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

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