provocative

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: pro=voc=a=tive

CIDE DICTIONARY

provocative, a. [L. provocativus: cf. OF. provocatif.].

 Serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate; exciting.  [1913 Webster]

provocative, n. 

 Anything that is provocative; a stimulant; as, a provocative of appetite.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

provocative, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 (usu. foll. by of) tending to provoke, esp. anger or sexual desire.
2 intentionally annoying.
--n. a provocative thing.

Derivative

provocatively adv. provocativeness n.

Etymology

ME f. obs. F provocatif -ive f. LL provocativus (as PROVOKE)

THESAURUS

provocative

acceptable, adorable, aggravating, aggravative, agitating, agreeable, alluring, annoying, appealing, appetizing, arousing, attractive, beguiling, bewitching, blandishing, breathtaking, cajoling, captivating, catching, challenging, charged, charismatic, charming, cliff-hanging, coaxing, come-hither, contentious, coquettish, desirable, disquieting, distracting, distressing, disturbing, electric, enchanting, encouraging, energizing, engaging, enravishing, enthralling, enticing, entrancing, enviable, erotic, exasperating, exasperative, exciting, exhilarating, exotic, fascinating, fetching, flirtatious, galling, galvanic, galvanizing, glamorous, goad, harassing, heady, heart-expanding, heart-stirring, heart-swelling, heart-thrilling, humiliating, hypnotic, impetus, impressive, impulse, incensing, incentive, incitation, incitement, inflammatory, infuriating, interesting, intoxicating, intriguing, inviting, irksome, irresistible, irritating, jarring, jolting, juicy, likable, lively, lovable, maddening, mesmeric, mind-blowing, mortifying, motivation, mouth-watering, moving, nettlesome, offensive, outrageous, overcoming, overmastering, overpowering, overwhelming, perturbing, piquant, plaguing, pleasing, prepossessing, prompting, provoking, provoquant, push, racy, ravishing, readable, rich, rousing, seducing, seductive, sensual, sensuous, sexy, siren, sirenic, soul-stirring, spellbinding, spellful, spicy, spirit-stirring, spur, stimulant, stimulating, stimulative, stinging, stirring, striking, succulent, suggestive, suspenseful, suspensive, taking, tantalizing, teasing, telling, tempting, thought-challenging, thought-inspiring, thought-provoking, thrilling, thrilly, tickling, titillating, titillative, to be desired, toothsome, troubling, unobjectionable, unsettling, upsetting, vexatious, vexing, voluptuous, winning, winsome, witching, worth having, wounding

ROGET THESAURUS

provocative

Motive

N motive, springs of action, wellsprings of action, reason, ground, call, principle, by end, by purpose, mainspring, primum mobile, keystone, the why and the wherefore, pro and con, reason why, secret motive, arriere pensee, intention, inducement, consideration, attraction, loadstone, magnet, magnetism, magnetic force, allectation, allective, temptation, enticement, agacerie, allurement, witchery, bewitchment, bewitchery, charm, spell, fascination, blandishment, cajolery, seduction, seducement, honeyed words, voice of the tempter, song of the Sirens forbidden fruit, golden apple, persuasibility, persuasibleness, attractability, impressibility, susceptibility, softness, persuasiveness, attractiveness, tantalization, influence, prompting, dictate, instance, impulse, impulsion, incitement, incitation, press, instigation, provocation, inspiration, persuasion, suasion, encouragement, advocacy, exhortation, advice, solicitation, lobbyism, pull, incentive, stimulus, spur, fillip, whip, goad, ankus, rowel, provocative, whet, dram, bribe, lure, decoy, decoy duck, bait, trail of a red herring, bribery and corruption, sop, sop for Cerberus, prompter, tempter, seducer, seductor, instigator, firebrand, incendiary, Siren, Circe, agent provocateur, lobbyist, impulsive, motive, suasive, suasory, persuasive, persuasory, hortative, hortatory, protreptical, inviting, tempting suasive, suasory, seductive, attractive, fascinating, provocative, induced, disposed, persuadable, spellbound, instinct with, smitten with, infatuated, inspired, by, because, therefore, from this motive, from that motive, for this reason, for that reason, for, by reason of, for the sake of, count of, out of, from, as, forasmuch as, for all the world, on principle, fax mentis incendium gloriae, temptation hath a music for all ears, to beguile many and be beguiled by one, motive, springs of action, wellsprings of action, reason, ground, call, principle, by end, by purpose, mainspring, primum mobile, keystone, the why and the wherefore, pro and con, reason why, secret motive, arriere pensee, intention, inducement, consideration, attraction, loadstone, magnet, magnetism, magnetic force, allectation, allective, temptation, enticement, agacerie, allurement, witchery, bewitchment, bewitchery, charm, spell, fascination, blandishment, cajolery, seduction, seducement, honeyed words, voice of the tempter, song of the Sirens forbidden fruit, golden apple, persuasibility, persuasibleness, attractability, impressibility, susceptibility, softness, persuasiveness, attractiveness, tantalization, influence, prompting, dictate, instance, impulse, impulsion, incitement, incitation, press, instigation, provocation, inspiration, persuasion, suasion, encouragement, advocacy, exhortation, advice, solicitation, lobbyism, pull, incentive, stimulus, spur, fillip, whip, goad, ankus, rowel, provocative, whet, dram, bribe, lure, decoy, decoy duck, bait, trail of a red herring, bribery and corruption, sop, sop for Cerberus, prompter, tempter, seducer, seductor, instigator, firebrand, incendiary, Siren, Circe, agent provocateur, lobbyist, impulsive, motive, suasive, suasory, persuasive, persuasory, hortative, hortatory, protreptical, inviting, tempting suasive, suasory, seductive, attractive, fascinating, provocative, induced, disposed, persuadable, spellbound, instinct with, smitten with, infatuated, inspired, by, because, therefore, from this motive, from that motive, for this reason, for that reason, for, by reason of, for the sake of, count of, out of, from, as, forasmuch as, for all the world, on principle, fax mentis incendium gloriae, temptation hath a music for all ears, to beguile many and be beguiled by one.

Excitation

N excitation of feeling, mental excitement, suscitation, galvanism, stimulation, piquance, piquancy, provocation, inspiration, calling forth, infection, animation, agitation, perturbation, subjugation, fascination, intoxication, enravishment, entrancement, pressure, tension, high pressure, unction, impressiveness, trail of temper, casus belli, irritation, passion, thrill, repression of feeling, sensationalism, yellow journalism, excited, wrought up, up the qui vive, astir, sparkling, in a quiver, in a fever, in a ferment, in a blaze, in a state of excitement, in hysterics, black in the face, overwrought, tense, taught, on a razor's edge, hot, red-hot, flushed, feverish, all of a twitter, in a pucker, with quivering lips, with tears in one's eyes, flaming, boiling over, ebullient, seething, foaming at the mouth, fuming, raging, carried away by passion, wild, raving, frantic, mad, distracted, beside oneself, out of one's wits, ready to burst, bouleverse, demoniacal, lost, eperdu, tempest-tossed, haggard, ready to sink, stung to the quick, up, on one's high ropes, exciting, absorbing, riveting, distracting, impressive, warm, glowing, fervid, swelling, imposing, spirit-stirring, thrilling, high-wrought, soul-stirring, soul-subduing, heart-stirring, heart- swelling, heart-thrilling, agonizing, telling, sensational, hysterical, overpowering, overwhelming, more than flesh and blood can bear, yellow, piquant, spicy, appetizing, provocative, provoquant, tantalizing, eager to go, anxious to go, chafing at the bit, till one is black in the face, the heart beating high, the heart going pitapat, the heart leaping into one's mouth, the blood being up, the blood boiling in one's veins, the eye glistening, the eyes in a fine frenzy rolling, the head turned, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.