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
Palihapitiya’s perspective, while provocative, reflects a growing skepticism among some technologists about the durability of traditional intellectual property laws in the face of generative AI.
—
Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
The movie was a hit among the critical community when it was released, with most noting how Melancholia departed from some of von Trier’s earlier, more provocative work.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 10 Aug. 2025
These cases are part of a long list of unintentionally provocative airport identifiers.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
Since stepping down as president in 2012 to allow Putin to return to the post, Medvedev has transformed himself from a relatively liberal technocrat into an uber-nationalist, taunting Russia’s adversaries with provocative social media posts.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocative
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Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
The movie was a hit among the critical community when it was released, with most noting how Melancholia departed from some of von Trier’s earlier, more provocative work.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 10 Aug. 2025
These cases are part of a long list of unintentionally provocative airport identifiers.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
Since stepping down as president in 2012 to allow Putin to return to the post, Medvedev has transformed himself from a relatively liberal technocrat into an uber-nationalist, taunting Russia’s adversaries with provocative social media posts.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocative
Cite this Entry
“Provocative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provocative. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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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