provoked
Americanadjective
-
angered or enraged.
The boys continued to test out the improved model until it was destroyed by a provoked weasel.
For all the hype, the “riot” was actually quite mild—just a few empty beer cans and some stones thrown by an already provoked crowd.
-
stirred up or aroused.
The longtime columnist says that it helps to have an easily provoked sense of indignation.
To avoid being eaten, a provoked pufferfish blows itself up into a spiny living balloon the size of a volleyball.
-
prompted or caused by some action, behavior, or circumstance; brought about, often deliberately.
His laugh was a contagious, easily provoked chuckle.
A provoked bite can occur when a person teases a dog or tries to take away the dog's food while the dog is eating.
verb
Other Word Forms
- unprovoked adjective
Etymology
Origin of provoked
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But a New York City Department of Investigation report found the SRG’s tactics during the protests “may have unnecessarily provoked confrontations between police and protesters.”
Her inflated self-esteem is a force of nature never wielded unkindly, unless provoked.
From Salon
Vinicius had just scored the only goal of the game in the 50th minute when he provoked the ire of Benfica fans, and some players, by celebrating in front of the home crowd in Lisbon.
From Barron's
In dramatizing the moment to his own benefit, Jackson provoked hostility from King’s widow and others in the movement’s leadership that lasted decades.
From Los Angeles Times
The proximate causes at times seem minor relative to the reactions they’ve provoked in the market.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
