| Library / English Dictionary |
PROVOCATIVE
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate; stimulating discussion or exciting controversy
Example:
provocative Irish tunes which...compel the hearers to dance
Classified under:
Similar:
agitating; agitative; provoking (causing or tending to cause anger or resentment)
challenging; intriguing (disturbingly provocative)
charged (capable of producing violent emotion or arousing controversy)
incendiary; incitive; inflammatory; instigative; rabble-rousing; seditious (arousing to action or rebellion)
rousing (rousing to activity or heightened action as by spurring or goading)
Also:
exciting (creating or arousing excitement)
Antonym:
unprovocative (not provocative)
Derivation:
provoke (provide the needed stimulus for)
provoke (call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses))
provoke (annoy continually or chronically)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Intentionally arousing sexual desire
Example:
her gestures and postures became more wanton and provocative
Classified under:
Similar:
sexy (marked by or tending to arouse sexual desire or interest)
