adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/pɹəˈvɒk.ə.tɪv/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, General-American:/pɹəˈvɑ.kə.tɪv/
Canada, General-American:[pɹəˈvɑ.kə.ɾɪv]
Australian:/pɹəˈvɔk.ə.tɪv/
CMU ARPABET:P R OW0 V AA1 K AH0 T IH0 V
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Serving or tending to elicit a strong, often negative sentiment in another person; exasperating.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: agitative
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Serving or tending to excite, stimulate or arouse sexual interest; sexy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Provoking or triggering any response.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Something that provokes an appetite, especially a sexual appetite; an aphrodisiac.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective
Meaning 5
serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate; stimulating discussion or exciting controversy- Anthony Trollope
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a provocative remark
a provocative smile
provocative Irish tunes which...compel the hearers to dance
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: unprovocative
6
adjective satellite
Meaning 6
exciting sexual desire
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
her gestures and postures became more wanton and provocative
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French provocatif, and its source, Late Latin provocativus, from Latin provocare.
Across languages
Translations
37 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مُسْتَفِز
(mustafiz)
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Belarusian:
правакацы́йны
(pravakacýjny)
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Bulgarian:
провокиращ
(provokirašt)
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Catalan:
provocador
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Catalan:
provocatiu
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Czech:
provokativní
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Dutch:
provocatief
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Finnish:
provosoiva
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Finnish:
provokatiivinen
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Finnish:
provokatorinen
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
French:
provocateur
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
French:
provocatrice
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
German:
provokant
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Greek:
προκλητικός
(proklitikós)
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Hindi:
उत्तेजक
(uttejak)
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Hungarian:
provokatív
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Indonesian:
provokatif
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Italian:
procace
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Italian:
attraente
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Māori:
whakataratara
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Māori:
whakatumatuma
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Norwegian Bokmål:
provoserende
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Norwegian Nynorsk:
provoserande
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Polish:
prowokacyjny
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Russian:
провокацио́нный
(provokaciónnyj)
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Russian:
провокати́вный
(provokatívnyj)
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Spanish:
provocador
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Spanish:
provocativo
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Ukrainian:
провокаці́йний
(provokacíjnyj)
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Ukrainian:
провокати́вний
(provokatývnyj)
— tending to provoke strong negative feeling
Bulgarian:
възбуждащ
(vǎzbuždašt)
— tending to arouse sexual interest
Catalan:
provocatiu
— tending to arouse sexual interest
Finnish:
provokatorinen
— tending to arouse sexual interest
Greek:
προκλητικός
(proklitikós)
— tending to arouse sexual interest
Hindi:
उत्तेजक
(uttejak)
— tending to arouse sexual interest
Hindi:
कामुक
(kāmuk)
— tending to arouse sexual interest
Polish:
wyzywający
— tending to arouse sexual interest
