prov·o·ca·tion
noun/ˌprɒvəˈkeɪʃn/
/ˌprɑːvəˈkeɪʃn/
[uncountable, countable]- the act of doing or saying something deliberately in order to make somebody angry or upset; something that is done or said to cause this
挑衅；刺激；激怒 - without provocation He fired a shot without any provocation.
他在没有任何挑衅的情况下开了一枪。 - despite provocation She observed great restraint despite provocation.
尽管受到挑衅，她仍表现出极大的克制。 - They seem ready to fight at the slightest provocation.
他们似乎已经准备好迎接最轻微的挑衅。 - So far the police have refused to respond to their provocations.
截至目前，警方并未对他们的挑衅作出反应。
Extra ExamplesTopics Opinion and argumentc2, Feelingsc2- She attacked him without provocation.
她无缘无故地就攻击他。 - I regret rising to his provocation.
我对他的挑衅感到遗憾。 - The foreign minister described the activities on the border as ‘a flagrant provocation’.
外交部长将边境活动描述为“公然挑衅”。 - Words alone can constitute provocation.
言语本身就能构成挑衅。 - The defendant was not acting under provocation.
被告并非是在被激怒的情况下做出此举动的。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- extreme
- deliberate
- element
- respond to
- constitute
- under provocation
- without provocation
- at the slightest provocation
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French, from Latin provocatio(n-), from the verb provocare ‘challenge’, from pro- ‘forth’ + vocare ‘to call’. - without provocation He fired a shot without any provocation.