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
Relations between the Koreas are at their most unstable in decades, with South Korea condemning the Kim Jong Un regime's spate of missile launches and Pyongyang accusing Seoul of provocative joint military exercises with the United States.
—
David Faris, Newsweek, 10 July 2024
Some China observers believe the U.S. Navy should scale back its provocative reconnaissance missions near the Chinese coast, especially since much of the intelligence collected during the flights can now be gathered by other means, such as satellites.
—Jane Perlez, Foreign Affairs, 5 July 2024
This isn’t the first time DeLaria has posted something provocative on Instagram regarding Trump that raised eyebrows.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 July 2024
And as part of a provocative new patient engagement strategy, the foundation chose to deliver those services with the voice of a drag queen.
—Mohana Ravindranath, STAT, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for provocative 
David Faris, Newsweek, 10 July 2024
Some China observers believe the U.S. Navy should scale back its provocative reconnaissance missions near the Chinese coast, especially since much of the intelligence collected during the flights can now be gathered by other means, such as satellites.
—Jane Perlez, Foreign Affairs, 5 July 2024
This isn’t the first time DeLaria has posted something provocative on Instagram regarding Trump that raised eyebrows.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 July 2024
And as part of a provocative new patient engagement strategy, the foundation chose to deliver those services with the voice of a drag queen.
—Mohana Ravindranath, STAT, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for provocative
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'provocative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Provocative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provocative. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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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