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 video is one of several provocative creations produced in the days since the general purpose video and audio generation system launched.
—
Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
If consummated, Paramount CEO David Ellison will have installed a provocative writer and thinker who has expressed partisan leanings on several major topics at the head of a mainstream news organization that has long sought to cultivate broader audiences.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
And now, the singer also finds herself in a position to defend the era of her career criticized for risqué outfits and provocative performances that were an extreme departure from her squeaky clean Disney Channel persona.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
The British artist, long a critical darling for her hyper-expressive musical style — a blend of R&B and electronic and avant-garde pop — and provocative fashion and dance moves, had just released her first album in five years, Eusexua.
—Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocative
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Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
If consummated, Paramount CEO David Ellison will have installed a provocative writer and thinker who has expressed partisan leanings on several major topics at the head of a mainstream news organization that has long sought to cultivate broader audiences.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
And now, the singer also finds herself in a position to defend the era of her career criticized for risqué outfits and provocative performances that were an extreme departure from her squeaky clean Disney Channel persona.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
The British artist, long a critical darling for her hyper-expressive musical style — a blend of R&B and electronic and avant-garde pop — and provocative fashion and dance moves, had just released her first album in five years, Eusexua.
—Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 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 5 Oct. 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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