provoking

[pruh-voh-king]

adjective

1. serving to provoke; causing annoyance.

Other Word Forms

• provokingly adverb
• unprovoking adjective
• unprovokingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of provoking¹

First recorded in 1520–30; provoke + -ing ²

Example Sentences

His appearance came days after he suddenly fired the new CDC director, Susan Monarez, provoking a group of senior staffers to resign in protest.

From BBC

Raducanu likes to learn and once put her high turnover of coaches down to asking "provoking" questions of them.

From BBC

One view is that the defence drive and Lai's rhetoric are provoking China, which could lead to war.

From BBC

By provoking his father, he had ended his own misery and had freed his mother, who finally found the courage to leave her husband of 48 years.

From Los Angeles Times

Raducanu likes to learn and once put her high turnover of coaches down to asking "provoking" questions.

From BBC