Entry Word: provoke

Function: verb

Meaning: 1 to rouse to strong feeling or action <his teasing finally provoked her to anger> <a strong chilling breeze provoked the picnickers to move inside>

Synonyms arouse, encourage, excite, fire (up), incite, instigate, move, pique, stimulate, stir

Related Words fan, inflame, kindle, trigger; activate, energize, galvanize, induce, inspire, motivate, quicken, vitalize; abet, ferment, foment, raise, whip (up); anger, enrage, madden, upset; jeer, taunt, tease; aggravate, annoy, bother, exasperate, gall, get, irritate, vex

Near Antonyms calm, soothe, subdue, tranquilize (also tranquillize)

2 to cause or encourage the development of <comments that are sure to provoke an argument> — see incite 1