provocative

adjective

prə-ˈvä-kə-tiv How to pronounce provocative (audio)
Definition of provocativenext
as in exciting
serving or likely to arouse a strong reaction a provocative editorial that sparked a heated discussion

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of provocative Jane Schoenbrun’s latest movie, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, is shocking, emotional, provocative, numbing, warm, witty, and surreal. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026 In IconArrows pointing outwards BCA Research The data come from a thorough and provocative new report by BCA's longtime (and now semi-retired) chief economist Martin Barnes. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026 The weeks that followed have been packed with political posturing, protests and provocative talk-show fodder, much of it aimed at dividing people much more than to actually support women’s sports. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026 Take Furious, which really is one of the summer’s more provocative shows. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for provocative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocative
  1. exciting
  2. charged
  3. provoking
  4. motivational
  5. stimulating
  6. edgy
Adjective
  • That performance and a handful of others leads the way as the UFC wrapped up an exciting event from Shanghai.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • While a lot of the shorts are fully animated, the parts where this cartoon interacts with the real world were the most exciting then and are still a delight now.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of exciting
Adjective
  • The result is an urgent, propulsive song with a raw spirit and some of Pop’s most super-charged writing with deceptively simple lyrics about love and war, dripping with desperation.
    — Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • What Happens Next Greene is likely to continue stoking controversy by breaking with her party, as conversations around immigration remain charged and divisive.
    — Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Definition of charged
Adjective
  • The Best Books of the Year (So Far) Our editors and critics choose the most captivating, notable, brilliant, surprising, absorbing, weird, thought-provoking, and talked-about books.
    — Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 24 June 2026
  • Chiarella has come up with an ingenious premise that is as twisted as it is thought-provoking.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
Definition of provoking
Adjective
  • Instead, his endless threats worked like an aggressive motivational speech, compelling Canadians to come to their senses about the state of their overdependent relationship.
    — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Tristan compared the strategy to Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat — an outlandish character capable of attracting an audience that a conventional motivational speaker could never reach.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of motivational
Adjective
  • That’s really the most stimulating, but not necessarily on camera.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The study doesn’t prove that mentally stimulating activities protect the brain, but the findings fit with a growing body of research suggesting that cognitive engagement helps reduce the risk of dementia.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of stimulating
Adjective
  • Wearing a bright, creamy, golden blonde gives both an expensive and edgy aura (the perfect combination).
    — Alyssa Rotunno, InStyle, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The daughter of Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz has cultivated her own aesthetic, ranging from edgy to romantic and from effortlessly off-duty to full red carpet glamour.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of edgy

Browse Nearby Words

provocations
provocative
provocatively
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Cite this Entry

“Provocative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocative. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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