5. inducing, producing, productive; promoting, furthering, forwarding, fostering, favoring, favorable, advancing. -n. 6. stimulus, incentive, motive. See provocation (def. 4). provoke, v. 1. anger, incense, huff, enrage, infuriate, madden, outrage, raise [s.o.'s] ire, make [s.o.'s] blood boil; exasperate, exacerbate, defy, disquiet, discompose, distress, ruffle, roil, pique, chafe, vex, gall, envenom, grate, put out, try [s.o.'s] patience, Sl. get [s.o.'s] goat; annoy, irritate, aggravate, fret, hector, nettle, disturb, perturb, torment, plague, badger, pester, persecute, harass, beset, bullyrag, get on [s.o.'sj nerves; insult, affront, offend, sting, wound, molest, mortify, humiliate.
2. instigate, actuate, initiate, generate, start, cause, effect, contrive, establish, create, institute, put in motion, sow the seeds of, Inf. start something, look for trouble; foment, agitate, excite, arouse, rouse, whip, whip up, work, work up, stir, stir up, wind, wind up, inflame, enflame, impassion, enkindle, kindle, fire, fire up, touch off; elicit, evoke, call forth, summon up.
3. incite, poke, prod, prick, thrust, goad, prompt, spur, egg on, encourage, put up to; impel, compel, constrain, press, push, move, force, propel, lash, drive, hound; strike, penetrate, disturb, touch to the quick; stimulate, animate, whet, reanimate, invigorate, motivate, inspire, inspirit, rally, revive, awaken, wake up, enliven, liven up, vivify, electrify, warm up, shake up; tempt, lure, allure, seduce, tantalize, beguile, inveigle, infect, intoxicate.
4. induce, produce, occasion, give rise to, bring about; promote, further, forward, foster, favor, advance. prow, n. (all of a ship or boat) bow, nose, stem, forepart, fore, front. prowess, n. 1. bravery, courage, valor, valorousness, valiancy, valiance, heroism; stout-heartedness, lionheartedness, iron-heartedness, great-heartedness, high-heartedness; virility, manliness, manfulness, manhood, gallantry, chivalry, chivalrousness, knight-errantry; intrepidity, intrepidness, fearlessness, dauntlessness, awelessness, dreadlessness; boldness, boldspiritedness, high-spiritedness, daring, derring-do, audacity, audaciousness, rashness; dash, dan, panache, verve, style, flair, bravado; independence, self-reliance, assurance, self-assurance, confidence, self-confidence; pot-valor, pot-valiancy, pot-valiance.
2. fortitude, resoluteness, resolution; indomitableness, indomitability, invincibleness, invincibility; staunchness, steadfastness, stalwartness, doughtiness, sturdiness, stoutness, lustiness, hardiness, hardihood, bulldog courage; strength, force, potency, power, sinew, vigor, energy, vitality, Archaic, pith; mettle, pluck, pluckiness, spirit or fighting spirit, game; backbone, gumption, blood, heart, nerve, grit, U.S. Inf. sand, Inf. starch, Inf. spunk, SI. guts, Sl. gutsiness, SI. moxie.
3. superior ability, skill, martial skill, talent, genius; expertism, expertise, expertness, mastery, authority, control; excellence, adeptness, finesse, facility; adroitness, deftness, dexterousness, dexterity, skillfulness; knowledgeableness, know-how, savoir-faire, cleverness, ingenuity; capability, capableness, aptness, competence, competency, efficiency, proficiency; efficacy, efficaciousness, effectiveness. prowl, v. 1. rove around, roam around or about, range about, wander around; skulk, sneak, slink, steal, move with stealth, tiptoe, U.S. Sl. gumshoe, Inf.