PROVOCATIVENESS Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

provocativeness

noun

as in zest

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocativeness

Noun

Onion and garlic build the base, red pepper flakes bring heat, and Parmesan and lemon zest keep things salty, nutty, and bright.

— Rachel Gurjar, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Oct. 2026
The orange zest added into the frosting adds a bit of brightness that punches up this delightful dessert.

— Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of zest

Noun

Those split levels of child and adult consciousness give the film a certain piquancy, a little gap where drama can spark in a story where almost nothing really happens except a kid takes a plane ride, or several plane rides, with his mom.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
That Mann himself had written stories on gay themes added to the piquancy of the encounter.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026

Definition of piquancy

Noun

The movie sanitizes the past and removes its tang, its pungency, leaving a craving for contact with nature, with raw experience, with incongruities and accidents and anything but what fits, in lieu of such synthetic sophistication.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2026
Spices like ginger add warmth, pungency, and peppery sweetness to a variety of dishes.

— Carole Kotkin, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of pungency

Noun

Made with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, spice cake recipes have just the right amount of zing when paired with sweet ingredients.

— Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026
Azzaro’s The Most Wanted is cozy, with hints of wood and bourbon vanilla, plus a distinctive zing of ginger.

— Genevieve Cepeda, InStyle, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of zing

Noun

China’s economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter thanks to the country’s powerful export machine, with domestic consumption still lagging and the authorities showing little interest in fiscal stimulus.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Visual stimuli produced more activity in the superficial layers of the superior colliculus.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of stimulus

Noun

Antarctica Silversea’s first ship reimagined for polar pursuits, Silver Cloud strikes a commendable balance between expedition thrills and luxury amenities.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026
Torque had to be reduced from 505 ft lbs to 461 ft lbs to go easy on the gearbox, but the regular 503 horses were all there, and the thrill of shifting yourself was enough to make up for a slight acceleration deficit versus the regular car.

— Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of thrill

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.

Browse Nearby Words

provocatively

provocativeness

provoke

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Provocativeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocativeness. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of provocativeness

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fulsome

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes