provoke

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pro·voke / prəˈvōk/ • v. [tr.] stimulate or give rise to (a reaction or emotion, typically a strong or unwelcome one) in someone: the decision provoked a storm of protest from civil rights organizations| [as adj. , in comb.] (-provoking) anxiety-provoking situations. ∎  stimulate or incite (someone) to do or feel something, esp. by arousing anger in them: a teacher can provoke you into working harder. ∎  deliberately make (someone) annoyed or angry: Rachel refused to be provoked.DERIVATIVES: pro·vok·a·ble adj.pro·vok·er n.pro·vok·ing·ly adv.