# provoke

/pɹəˈvoʊk/ (US) · /pɹəvˈəʊk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/provoke
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to cause a reaction

verb · CEFR B2

to cause a particular reaction or feeling to happen.

For teachers: to elicit or give rise to a specific reaction, emotion, or physical response. Transitive — always takes a direct object.

- The government's new tax plan provoked a lot of protests in the city.
- The senator's controversial remarks were clearly intended to provoke a debate on national security before the upcoming election.

### 2. to make someone angry

verb · CEFR B2

to do or say something that makes someone angry or annoyed.

For teachers: to deliberately incite anger, resentment, or irritation in a person or animal through speech or action.

- Be careful with that dog; if you provoke it, it might bite.
- The lawyer attempted to provoke the witness into losing his temper, hoping to undermine his credibility in front of the jury.

### 3. to appeal

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic

to call upon someone or to make a formal request.

For teachers: to appeal to a higher authority or to summon. This usage is no longer found in modern speech or writing.

- In the old story, the knight had to provoke the king's mercy.
- The defendant sought to provoke the judgement of the high court, a phrasing that has since vanished from modern legal proceedings.

## Examples

- His rude comments often provoke an argument.
- The government's decision to raise taxes is likely to provoke widespread protests across the country.
- The philosopher's latest book was designed to provoke intense debate among scholars regarding the ethical implications of artificial intelligence in modern warfare.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.