provoke

/pɹəˈvəʊk/verb

To deliberately make someone angry or upset.

Example sentences

“Ignore your brother's teasing; he's only trying to provoke you.”
“The bully kept trying to provoke him into a fight.”

'Provoke a reaction' or 'provoke a response' is neutral; provoking a person means goading them: 'don't provoke him'.

Featured as word of the day on January 22, 2026.

Synonyms for provoke

anger
annoy
goad
taunt
irritate

Antonyms

Often confused with provoke

provoke vs evoke: evoke (verb): To bring out a feeling, memory, or response; to call something forth.

Related words

appeaseTo calm someone down or soothe their anger, often by giving them what they want.elicitTo draw out a reaction, answer, or feeling from someone.inciteTo stir people up and push them into action.instigateTo set an action or event in motion, especially by urging or encouraging others.mollifyTo calm someone down or make their worry or anger less intense; to soothe.quellTo stop or calm something, often by using force or authority.