# provoking

/pɹəˈvoʊkɪŋ/ (US) · /pɹəvˈəʊkɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/provoking
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. annoying or irritating

adjective · CEFR B2

causing you to feel annoyed or angry.

For teachers: causing annoyance, irritation, or anger through deliberate or persistent action.

- The child's provoking behavior made it very hard for the teacher to stay calm.
- His provoking remarks during the meeting seemed calculated to derail the discussion and frustrate the committee members.

### 2. stimulating thought

adjective · CEFR B2

making you think seriously about a subject.

For teachers: serving to excite or stimulate a particular thought, feeling, or action; often used in the compound 'thought-provoking'.

- The documentary was very provoking and made us talk about the issue for hours.
- The artist's latest installation is deeply provoking, forcing the audience to confront uncomfortable truths about modern consumerism.

## Examples

- The artist's new work is very provoking.
- The politician's provoking comments led to a heated debate among the audience members.
- While some found the documentary's imagery unnecessarily provoking, others argued that such visceral content was essential to convey the gravity of the environmental crisis.

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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.