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Provoke vs Hostile - What's the difference?

provoke | hostile |

As a verb provoke

is to cause someone to become annoyed or angry.

As an adjective hostile is

belonging or appropriate to an enemy; showing the disposition of an enemy; showing ill will and malevolence, or a desire to thwart and injure; occupied by an enemy or enemies; inimical; unfriendly.

As a noun hostile is

an enemy.

provoke

English

Verb

(provok)
  • to cause someone to become annoyed or angry.
  • Don't provoke the dog; it may try to bite you.
  • * Bible, Eph. vi. 4
  • Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath.
  • to bring about a reaction.
  • * J. Burroughs
  • To the poet the meaning is what he pleases to make it, what it provokes in his own soul.
  • *{{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=November 12 , author= , title=International friendly: England 1-0 Spain , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Spain were provoked into a response and Villa almost provided a swift equaliser when he rounded Hart but found the angle too acute and could only hit the side-netting.}}
  • (obsolete) To appeal.
  • (Dryden)

    Synonyms

    * (bring about a reaction) bring about, discompose, egg on, engender, evoke, grill, incite, induce, inflame, instigate, invoke, rouse, set off, stir up, whip up

    Derived terms

    * provocation * provocative

    hostile

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Belonging or appropriate to an enemy; showing the disposition of an enemy; showing ill will and malevolence, or a desire to thwart and injure; occupied by an enemy or enemies; inimical; unfriendly
  • a hostile force
    hostile intentions
    a hostile country
    hostile to a sudden change

    Synonyms

    * antagonistic * hateful

    Antonyms

    * friendly

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (chiefly, in the plural) An enemy.
  • Anagrams

    * * ----