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
Sign up for the Race/Related Newsletter Join a deep and provocative exploration of race, identity and society with New York Times journalists.
—
Catherine Porter, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Watch on Deadline The elder Le Pen was known for his brash, charismatic speeches and provocative and incendiary opinions on immigration, the European Union, culture and traditionalism, and religion, especially around faiths such as Islam and Judaism.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2025
However, as Trump’s presidency looms with threats of a 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports, mass deportations of undocumented immigrants from the U.S., and even a provocative suggestion that Canada merge with the United States, Trudeau’s immigration legacy faces new challenges and scrutiny.
—Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
The ambiguities that result are fascinating and provocative, though Corbet never quite thinks them through: If László is creating, in effect, architectural poetry after Auschwitz, does this poetry redeem the cruelty and brutality of the concentration camps or reproduce it?
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2025
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Catherine Porter, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Watch on Deadline The elder Le Pen was known for his brash, charismatic speeches and provocative and incendiary opinions on immigration, the European Union, culture and traditionalism, and religion, especially around faiths such as Islam and Judaism.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2025
However, as Trump’s presidency looms with threats of a 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports, mass deportations of undocumented immigrants from the U.S., and even a provocative suggestion that Canada merge with the United States, Trudeau’s immigration legacy faces new challenges and scrutiny.
—Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
The ambiguities that result are fascinating and provocative, though Corbet never quite thinks them through: If László is creating, in effect, architectural poetry after Auschwitz, does this poetry redeem the cruelty and brutality of the concentration camps or reproduce it?
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for provocative
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Dictionary Entries Near provocative
Cite this Entry
“Provocative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provocative. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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—The Journal of the American Medical Association
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