Search the Dictionary

Passionate; easily provoked; irritable. You kniw the fiery quality of the duke. Shak.

To control one's self when provoked. The kindest and the happiest pair Will find occasion to forbear. Cowper. Both bear and forbear. Old Proverb.

Naturally mild in temper; not easily provoked.

A bully; a blustering, turbulent, insolent, fellow; one who vexes or provokes.

nd suck their blood. Called also hawk fly, robber fly. -- To stir up a hornet's nest, to provoke the attack of a swarm of spiteful enemies or spirited critics. [Colloq.]

even our hostilities with humanity. Atterbury. He who proceeds to wanton hostility, often provokes an enemy where he might have a friend. Crabb.

To inflame with anger; to endkindle; to fire; to incite; to provoke; to heat; to madden. The people are incensed him. Shak.

Tending to excite or provoke; inflammatory. Barrow.

To provoke to anger or rage; to exasperate; to irritate; to incense; to enrage. It will inflame you; it will make you mad. Shak.

Set on fire; enkindled; heated; congested; provoked; exasperated.

Excitable; irritable; irascible; easily provoked; as, an inflammable temper. Inflammable air, the old chemical name for hydrogen.

To goad or urge forward; to set on; to provoke; to incite; -- used chiefly with reference to evil actions; as to instigate one to a crime. He hath only instigated his blackest agents to the very extent of their malignity. Bp. Warburton.

Likely to incur or produce ill will, or to provoke envy; hateful; as, invidious distinctions. Agamemnon found it an invidious affair to give the preference to any one of the Grecian heroes. Broome. -- In*vid"i*ous*ly, adv. -- In*vid"i*ous*ness, n.

Prone to anger; easily provoked or inflamed to anger; choleric; irritable; as, an irascible man; an irascible temper or mood. -- I*ras"ci*ble*ness, n. -- I*ras"ci*bly, adv.

To excite anger or displeasure in; to provoke; to tease; to exasperate; to annoy; to vex; as, the insolence of a tyrant irritates his subjects. Dismiss the man, nor irritate the god: Prevent the rage of him who reigns above. Pope.

Fig.: To inflame, as the passions; to rouse; to provoke; to excite to action; to heat; to fire; to animate; to incite; as, to kindle anger or wrath; to kindle the flame of love, or love into a flame. So is a contentious man to kindle strife. Prov. xxvi. 21. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither. Shak. Kindl…

the laws of etiquette or propriety; as, to permit, or take, a liberty. He was repeatedly provoked into striking those who had taken liberties with him. Macaulay.

Bearing injuries or provocation for a long time; patient; not easily provoked. The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Ex. xxxiv. 6.

Mild of temper; not easily provoked or orritated; patient under injuries; not vain, or haughty, or resentful; forbearing; submissive. Not the man Moses was very meek. Num. xii. 3.

The daughter of Tantalus, and wife of Amphion, king of Thebes. Her pride in her children provoked Apollo and Diana, who slew them all. Niobe herself was changed by the gods into stone.