provocative
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provocative
In a way that is intentionally meant to provoke a reaction such as anger, disagreement, or discussion. It can be perceived as challenging or inflammatory.
Seine provokante Frage brachte den Redner kurz aus dem Konzept.
His provocative question briefly threw the speaker off track.
'Provokant' (provocative) belongs to the word family of 'provozieren' (to provoke) and 'die Provokation' (provocation). All these words share the basic meaning of challenging or provoking someone.
Er versucht immer, mit seinen Kommentaren zu provozieren.
He always tries to provoke people with his comments.
'Provokant' (provocative) can be used as an adjective before a noun, as part of the predicate, or as an adverb to describe an action.
Das ist eine sehr provokante Aussage.
That is a very provocative statement.
Common nouns described as 'provokant' (provocative) include 'Frage' (question), 'Aussage' (statement), 'These' (thesis), 'Verhalten' (behavior), 'Plakat' (poster), or 'Kunstwerk' (work of art).
Der Künstler ist für seine provokanten Installationen bekannt.
The artist is known for his provocative installations.
aggressive
'aggressiv' and 'provokant' can both come across as unpleasant or challenging. 'aggressiv' describes hostile or threatening behavior. 'provokant' describes something that is intentionally meant to provoke a reaction, such as anger, disagreement, or discussion. A provocative question does not have to be aggressive; it can also simply encourage people to think. The words are easy to confuse because provocative behavior can seem aggressive. If the focus is on attack or threat, 'aggressiv' is a better fit. If the focus is on provoking a reaction, 'provokant' is a better fit.
Die Journalistin stellte eine provokante Frage zur Entscheidung des Ministers.
The journalist asked a provocative question about the minister's decision.
Im Meeting wurde sein Ton plötzlich aggressiv.
In the meeting, his tone suddenly became aggressive.