provoke

v.

1. To vex

   irritate, put out, aggravate; see bother 2.

2. To incite

   stir, rouse, arouse, excite, stimulate, pique, incite, spur, evoke, prompt, prod, motivate, inspire, instigate, kindle, foment, stir up, whip up, galvanize; see also incite.

3. To cause

   make, produce, bring about; see begin 1. See syn. study at irritate.

provoke, in this connection, implies rather generally an arousing to some action or feeling thought-provoking; excite suggests a more powerful or profound stirring or moving of the thoughts or emotions it excites my imagination; stimulate implies arousing to increased activity as if by goading or pricking and often connotes bringing out of a state of inactivity or indifference to stimulate one's enthusiasm; pique suggests stimulating as if by irritating mildly to pique one's curiosity