Provokes

Provokes is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb provoke. It means to cause a reaction, action, or feeling in someone or something, often by incitement, stimulation, or a provocative act. The reaction may be emotional (anger, laughter, surprise), intellectual (thought, debate), or physical (a movement or response). The sense can be neutral, as in eliciting a thoughtful response, or negative, as in provoking anger or hostility. It can also denote prompting someone to take action or to think more deeply about an issue.

Origin and related forms provide context for usage. Provoke comes from Old French provoquer, from Latin provocāre, meaning “to call forth, challenge.” The modern English form preserves that sense of eliciting a response. Related forms include provocative (adjective), which describes things that tend to provoke, and provocation (noun), the act or instance of provoking.

Usage notes help distinguish nuance. In syntax, provokes takes a direct object naming the reaction or stimulus (provokes a reaction, provokes laughter, provokes criticism). Common collocations include provoke debate, provoke controversy, provoke a reaction. The term can carry positive, negative, or neutral connotations depending on context. In legal language, provocation can refer to a partial defense in some jurisdictions, where the defendant’s actions are said to have been provoked by the victim.

See also: provocation, provocative, provocateur. Examples include: “Her remarks provoked an outcry.” “The policy change provokes public debate.”