Question 1 · Quick check
provocative
CEFRC1
/pɹəˈvɒk.ə.tɪv/
adjective · noun
Türkçe translations
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In plain English
- 01
adjective
Intended to cause a strong reaction, especially anger or interest.
- 02
adjective
Extra detailProvoking or triggering any response.
Examples
After seeing her provocative body, he became obsessed with her.
Mary is wearing provocative clothing.
At a glance
Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale
- Senses
- 5
- Parts of speech
- 2
- Citations
- 5
- Synonyms
- 1
Also pronounced
- [pɹəˈvɑ.kə.ɾɪv]
Deep Dive
adjective
Extra meaningsServing or tending to elicit a strong, often negative sentiment in another person; exasperating.
Serving or tending to excite, stimulate or arouse sexual interest; sexy.
noun
Extra meaningSomething that provokes an appetite, especially a sexual appetite; an aphrodisiac.
More examples
In contextAnd the ‘wailing noise,’ which had induced the prosaic, indurated London cabman to get twice off his box to see what was the matter, what anguish had been provocative of that?
[I]t is a terrible long and slippery descent, and a shocking bad road. At the bottom, however, there is a pleasant public; whereat we must really take a modest quencher, for the down air is provocative of thirst.
She used by way of Provocative, to read the wanton Verses of her Paramour in the day time [...].
Related
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Nearby
Origin
adjective
Borrowed from Middle French provocatif, and its source, Late Latin provocativus, from Latin provocare.