(click/touch triangles for details)
Definition
actions that cause a reaction—especially anger or violenceor:
the act of causing an angry or violent reaction
- Police are expected to hold their temper regardless of the degree of verbal provocation.
- the result was a provocation of vigorous investigation
- ...you told me never to use words like that except in ex-extreme provocation, and Francis provocated me enough to knock his block off-Harper Lee -- To Kill a Mockingbird
- "Well I don't," said Uncle Jack, "not unless there's extreme provocation connected with 'em."Harper Lee -- To Kill a Mockingbird
- To the Nazarene they were hours of insult, provocation, and slow dying.Lew Wallace -- Ben Hur
- Essentially the Ousters had to be provoked into attacking, and the key to that provocation was the world of Hyperion.Dan Simmons -- Hyperion
- After that series of provocations, the city exploded into a riot.John Howard Griffin -- Black Like Me
- You must have had some provocation.Cormac McCarthy -- All the Pretty Horses
- He had swept it out of existence, as it seemed, without any provocation, as a boy might crush an ant hill, in the mere wantonness of power.H.G. Wells -- The War of the Worlds
- This was one provocation too many.Stieg Larsson -- The Girl Who Played with Fire
- His cheeks and the tip of his nose were covered with twitchy blood vessels, ready to flush at the least provocation.Abraham Verghese -- Cutting for Stone
- I cannot believe that he has done this deed, unless in self-defence, or on some justifiable provocation.James Fenimore Cooper -- The Prairie
- On the present occasion, he was reluctant to proceed to extremities, although the provocation was so great.James Fenimore Cooper -- The Deerslayer
- The incidents were always preceded by some kind of provocation.Stieg Larsson -- The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
- She had not planned it, but the question, which she had quite forgotten, from the Book of Common Prayer, was a provocation.Ian McEwan -- Atonement
- Most people, fortunately, do not respond with murderous out-bursts even under extreme provocation.Truman Capote -- In Cold Blood
- It was a composure born of extreme provocation.Arundhati Roy -- The God of Small Things
- True; but I have been tossed to and fro in doubt if I ought, after such strong provocation.Thomas Hardy -- The Return of the Native
- He hurried through his plea of provocation, and then he, too, started in about my soul.Albert Camus -- The Stranger
- If they agree to a truce, they observe it so religiously that no provocations will make them break it.Thomas More -- Utopia
provocation = something that causes a violent or angry reaction
provocation = something that causes a violent or angry reaction
Search for other examples by interest
Interest — Source
General — Google News®General — Time® Magazine
General — Wikipedia®
Architecture — Google® books - Architecture
Business — Bloomberg®
Business — The Economist®
Classic Literature — Google® books - Classical Literature
Engineering — Google® books - Engineering
Engineering — Popular Mechanics®
Engineering — Discover Magazine®
Fine Arts & Music — Google® books - Art
History — Google® books - History
Human Behavior — Google® books - Psychology
Human Behavior — Psychology Today®
Law — FindLaw®
Law — Google® books - Law
Logic & Reasoning — Google® books - Reasoning
Medicine — Web MD®
Medicine — Google® books - Medicine
Nature & Ecology — National Geographic®
Nature & Ecology — Google® books - Nature
Personal Finance — Kiplinger® (Personal Finance)
Philosophy — Google® books - Philosophy
Public Policy & Politics — Newsweek®
Public Policy & Politics — Real Clear Politics®
Public Policy & Politics — Google® books - Politics
Religion & Spirtuality — Google® books - Religion
Religion - Christianity — Bible Gateway®
Religion - Christianity — Google® books - Christianity
Science — Popular Science®
Science — Scientific American®
Science — Google® books - Science
Sports — Sports Illustrated®