Synonyms

1. aggravation
2. irritation

Sentence Examples

1. Every day he hanged a man, impaled one, cut off the ears of another and all with so little provocation, or so entirely without any, that the Turks acknowledged he did it merely for the sake of doing it, and because he was by nature murderously disposed towards the whole human race.
2. The man who was looking at me now was full of anguish and looked like he might strike out at the slightest provocation.
3. He became hostile without provocation and began slamming his study door.
4. But I will tell thee why with good reason dishonour attaches to the husband of the unchaste wife, though he know not that she is so, nor be to blame, nor have done anything, or given any provocation to make her so and be not weary with listening to me, for it will be for thy good.
5. Content to be discussing something so natural to her, she continued without provocation.
6. I had sent so many memorials and petitions for my liberty that his majesty at length mentioned the matter, first in the cabinet and then in a full council, where it was opposed by none except Skyresh Bolgolam, who was pleased, without any provocation, to be my mortal enemy.
7. That this was the task Cervantes set himself, and that he had ample provocation to urge him to it, will be sufficiently clear to those who look into the evidence as it will be also that it was not chivalry itself that he attacked and swept away.
8. I told him that we fed on a thousand things which operated contrary to each other that we ate when we were not hungry, and drank without the provocation of thirst that we sat whole nights drinking strong liquors, without eating a bit, which disposed us to sloth, inflamed our bodies, and precipitated or prevented digestion.
9. I then gathered in the rope you were sending me, and making a coil or pile of it I seated myself upon it, ruminating and considering what I was to do to lower myself to the bottom, having no one to hold me up and as I was thus deep in thought and perplexity, suddenly and without provocation a profound sleep fell upon me, and when I least expected it, I know not how, I awoke and found myself in the midst of the most beautiful, delightful meadow that nature could produce or the most lively human imagination conceive.
10. Whereupon, the malicious rogue, watching his opportunity, when I was walking under one of them, shook it directly over my head, by which a dozen apples, each of them near as large as a Bristol barrel, came tumbling about my ears one of them hit me on the back as I chanced to stoop, and knocked me down flat on my face but I received no other hurt, and the dwarf was pardoned at my desire, because I had given the provocation.