provoking

[ pruh-voh-king ]

adjective

1. serving to provoke; causing annoyance.

Other Words From

• pro·voking·ly adverb
• unpro·voking adjective
• unpro·voking·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of provoking¹

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

Example Sentences

Rossiya 1 correspondent Dmitry Melnikov said that her nomination "does not bode well for Kyiv", noting that in the past she "openly accused the Biden administration of provoking Russia".

From BBC

Jennifer Mercieca, a political historian and communications professor at Texas A&M and author of “Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump,” said every action in the final days before voting closes on Nov. 5 is provoking new levels of anxiety among an already tense electorate.

From Los Angeles Times

A decision by the owner of the Los Angeles Times not to endorse in the 2024 presidential race — after the paper’s editorial board proposed backing Kamala Harris — has created a tempest, prompting three members of the board to resign and provoking thousands of readers to cancel their subscriptions.

From Los Angeles Times

In the end, Iran’s 180 ballistic missiles were fired mainly at Israeli military sites and other security installations, not civilian targets — the attack apparently constrained to avoid provoking a devastating Israeli reprisal.

From Los Angeles Times

Israel was fighting a shadow war with Iran, but each side was careful to keep the fighting within certain bounds, for fear of provoking the other into a larger-scale conflict.

From BBC