Synonyms for provoke
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Incite — to bring about a reaction
incite, stimulate, evoke, instigate, stir up, arouse, stir, excite, rouse, elicit, induce, impel, tempt, engender, goad, foment, bring about, wake, fire, ignite, invite, motivate
2. Inflame — to cause someone to become annoyed or angry
inflame, vex, infuriate, offend, aggravate informal, exasperate, anger, enrage, irritate, antagonize, antagonise UK, harass, put out, pique, tease, rile, affront, annoy, pester, insult, frustrate, exacerbate, molest
3. Kick up
Other
Definitions
- v. 1
To cause someone to become annoyed or angry.
Don't provoke the dog; it may try to bite you.
- v. 2
To bring about a reaction.
Related words
- Word family
- provocation provocative provoker provocateur
Forms
- Past participle
- provoked
e.g. provoked → incited, stimulated, evoked, instigated…
Choose the right word
To provoke, literally to call out or challenge, is to begin a contest; one provokes another to violence.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- evoke Black and white films evoke a sense of nostalgia.
- incite The speaker tried to incite the people to rebellion.
- instigate Feminists instigate women against men.
- offend I can never allow you to offend my wife like this.
- infuriate Sami's behavior started to infuriate Layla.
By length
- 3 letters
- vex1
- 4 letters
- fire2, wake1, stir1, goad1, rile1
- 5 letters
- anger2, tease1, annoy2, evoke2, tempt1, rouse1, pique1, impel2
- 6 letters
- invite2, insult2, induce2, offend2, ignite2, excite2, harass2, incite2, elicit3, arouse2, molest2, pester2, foment2, enrage2
- 7 letters
- affront2, inflame2
- 8 letters
- motivate3, irritate3, engender3
- 9 letters
- challenge2, stimulate3, frustrate2, instigate3, aggravate3, infuriate4
- 10 letters
- exacerbate4, antagonize4, antagonise, exasperate4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (fire2 = 2 syllables).