Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Tending to provoke or stimulate.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate; exciting; apt to incense or enrage: as, provocative threats.
  • noun Anything that tends to excite appetite or passion; a stimulant.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate; exciting.
  • noun Anything that is provocative; a stimulant.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate; exciting.
  • noun Anything that provokes; a stimulant; as, a provocative of appetite.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective exciting sexual desire
  • adjective serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate; stimulating discussion or exciting controversy

Etymologies

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Examples

  • The United States, South Korea and Japan have expressed reluctance to talk with North Korea at the present time, fearing that would reward Pyongyang for what they call provocative behavior.

    US: North Korea Likely to Be Hiding More Nuclear Sites 2010

  • The United States, South Korea and Japan have expressed reluctance to talk with North Korea, concerned that doing so would seen as rewarding Pyongyang for what they call provocative behavior.

    North Korea Condemns US, Japan, South Korea for Forming 'Alliance' 2010

  • The United States, South Korea and Japan have expressed reluctance to talk with North Korea at the present time, fearing that would reward Pyongyang for what they call provocative behavior.

    US: North Korea Likely to Be Hiding More Nuclear Sites 2010

  • And, in fact, they have been delivering some tough talk here at the administration, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemning North Korea for what she called provocative and belligerent threats.

    CNN Transcript May 27, 2009 2009

  • Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemning North Korea for what she called provocative and belligerent threats.

    CNN Transcript May 27, 2009 2009

  • Chen, she said, has taken what she characterized as a provocative and belligerent stance toward mainland China, all for his personal political gain, in hopes that he can be hailed as the savior who stands up to Communist China.

    Archive 2006-04-01 Michael Turton 2006

  • Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today said it would be what she called a provocative act.

    CNN Transcript Jun 19, 2006 2006

  • If you look at beach populations, generally, you will find males travel out further from shore and are involved in more of what we refer to as provocative activities than are females.

    CNN Transcript Dec 17, 2004 2004

  • Israeli government to take all possible measures to prevent an escalation of tension following what it termed provocative actions of a small group of Israeli settlers who established an unauthorised settlement in East Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1997

  • The special representative in South Africa of the Organisation of African Unity, Legwaila J Legwaila, on Monday rejected what he called the provocative linkage that gave the impression the

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1992

Comments

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  • In my morning haze, I just read this as "pro-voke-ativ", which I guess would mean the same thing, and actually be more clear.

    September 10, 2007