provocative
adjective
pro·voc·a·tive
prə-ˈvä-kə-tiv 
: serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate
a provocative question
provocative
noun
provocatively
adverb
provocativeness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of provocative in a Sentence
a thoughtful and provocative book
It was one of his more provocative suggestions.
She was wearing a very provocative outfit.
Recent Examples on the Web
To generalize, Water From Your Eyes is about provocative pop experiments; This Is Lorelei is for more straightforwardly emotional verse/chorus songs.
—
Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2024
The provocative thriller debuted last weekend with $25.8 million and looks to bring in $10 million to $12 million in its sophomore outing.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
This tyranny demands that Japan avoid abrupt, provocative moves that might startle China.
—Tomohiko Taniguchi, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
Today, Beijing stands to benefit when US attention is drawn away from itself and toward Pyongyang’s provocative rhetoric and weapons testing.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
The provocative comments, experts said, were part of a pattern.
—Genevieve Glatsky, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
But the dispute playing out across state lines over the Coquille’s proposal has introduced new dimensions, raising provocative questions about who gets to determine the reaches of a tribe’s ancestral homeland and the fairness of the federal process for determining where tribes can build casinos.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The strike on the Quds Force officers, while provocative, didn’t rate as the kind of mass-casualty event that would trigger that broader conflict, four U.S., Israeli, and other Western officials said this week.
—Shane Harris, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The provocative debut also hit festivals in Chicago, Montclair, Morelia, Santa Barbara and Sarasota.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2024
The provocative thriller debuted last weekend with $25.8 million and looks to bring in $10 million to $12 million in its sophomore outing.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
This tyranny demands that Japan avoid abrupt, provocative moves that might startle China.
—Tomohiko Taniguchi, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
Today, Beijing stands to benefit when US attention is drawn away from itself and toward Pyongyang’s provocative rhetoric and weapons testing.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
The provocative comments, experts said, were part of a pattern.
—Genevieve Glatsky, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
But the dispute playing out across state lines over the Coquille’s proposal has introduced new dimensions, raising provocative questions about who gets to determine the reaches of a tribe’s ancestral homeland and the fairness of the federal process for determining where tribes can build casinos.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The strike on the Quds Force officers, while provocative, didn’t rate as the kind of mass-casualty event that would trigger that broader conflict, four U.S., Israeli, and other Western officials said this week.
—Shane Harris, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The provocative debut also hit festivals in Chicago, Montclair, Morelia, Santa Barbara and Sarasota.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'provocative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Provocative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provocative. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
provocative
adjective
pro·voc·a·tive
prə-ˈväk-ət-iv
: serving or tending to provoke
provocative comments
provocatively
adverb
provocativeness
noun
Medical Definition
provocative
adjective
pro·voc·a·tive
prə-ˈväk-ət-iv
: serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate
provocative test for coronary spasm—Journal of the American Medical Association
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