provocative
pruh-VOK-uh-tiv
/prəˈvɒk.ə.tɪv/
Causing annoyance, anger, or another strong reaction, especially deliberately.
In art, being provocative is often a goal—to wake the audience up or force them to think about uncomfortable truths.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'provocare,' meaning 'to call forth.' When you are provocative, you are literally 'calling forth' a response from someone else.
Word relationships
- stimulating: Stimulating is positive and intellectual; provocative can be negative or aggressive.
- inflammatory: Inflammatory is much more negative, implying an intent to start a fight or riot.
- soothing: Soothing art aims to calm the viewer rather than excite them.
- unremarkable: Unremarkable things fail to trigger any reaction at all.
Commonly confused with
- evocative: Evocative brings up memories or feelings; provocative challenges or angers.
Word family
- provoke (verb): To stimulate or give rise to a reaction.
- provocation (noun): Action or speech that makes someone annoyed or angry.
Collocations
- provocative question
- provocative statement
- provocative art
Example sentences
- "The artist's provocative imagery was designed to spark a debate about environmental destruction." Describing a political poster.
- "The purpose of art is to disturb; science reassures. Art must be provocative to be effective." A real citation regarding art's purpose.
Memory hook
Pro-VOC-ative. Like a 'vocal' 'pro' who calls out to the crowd to get them riled up. Calling forth a reaction.
When not to use
Don't use for things that are merely 'interesting'; it must 'provoke' a visceral response.
Fun facts
- In the 19th century, the word was often used in a legal sense to describe an action that justified a physical retaliation.
Related words
Also appears in
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