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
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
The menu switched over to conventional diner fare, without the politically provocative dish names that helped set MAGA Burger apart.
—
Aviva Bechky, Houston Chronicle, 26 Mar. 2026
If the storytelling were tighter and more successfully focused on its more sociologically provocative elements, Detective Hole could have settled into the overstuffed genre’s top tier rather than taking a place in the acceptable middle.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
But this crop of youthful, intentionally provocative antisemites is novel in some ways.
—Suzanne Schneider, The New York Review of Books, 25 Mar. 2026
Earlier this year the startup Doctronic launched a provocative, first-in-the-nation experiment to renew drug prescriptions with a chatbot.
—Mario Aguilar, STAT, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocative
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Aviva Bechky, Houston Chronicle, 26 Mar. 2026
If the storytelling were tighter and more successfully focused on its more sociologically provocative elements, Detective Hole could have settled into the overstuffed genre’s top tier rather than taking a place in the acceptable middle.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
But this crop of youthful, intentionally provocative antisemites is novel in some ways.
—Suzanne Schneider, The New York Review of Books, 25 Mar. 2026
Earlier this year the startup Doctronic launched a provocative, first-in-the-nation experiment to renew drug prescriptions with a chatbot.
—Mario Aguilar, STAT, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocative
Cite this Entry
“Provocative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provocative. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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
The Journal of the American Medical AssociationLove words? Need even more definitions?
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