provocative meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

provocative

adj

UK /pɹəˈvɒk.ə.tɪv/ · CA, US /pɹəˈvɑ.kə.tɪv/

Etymology Borrowed from Middle French provocatif, and its source, Late Latin provocativus, from Latin provocare.

Serving or tending to elicit a strong, often negative sentiment in another person; exasperating.

Serving or tending to excite, stimulate or arouse sexual interest; sexy.

Provoking or triggering any response.

[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.1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's School Days:
And 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?1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle:

Derived terms: bronchoprovocative, nonprovocative, provocatively, provocativeness, unprovocative
Related terms: provoke, provocation, provocator, provocateur

noun

Etymology Borrowed from Middle French provocatif, and its source, Late Latin provocativus, from Latin provocare.

Something that provokes an appetite, especially a sexual appetite; an aphrodisiac.

She used by way of Provocative, to read the wanton Verses of her Paramour in the day time [...].1723, Charles Walker, Memoirs of the Life of Sally Salisbury:
[A]nd that one great and all-important occasion and provocative of these beliefs was actually the rise of self-consciousness — that is, the coming of the mind to a more or less distinct awareness of itself and of its own operation, and the consequent development and growth of Individualism, and of the Self-centred attitude in human thought and action.1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., page 165:

1 more example

In Turkey, Iran, and Syria salep is popular as a restorative and also as a provocative to amatory activity.1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 213:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.