provoke in WordNet English dictionary

1. call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
   "arouse pity"; "raise a smile"; "evoke sympathy"
   arouse  elicit  enkindle  kindle  evoke  fire  raise  provoke 
   
2. annoy continually or chronically
   "He is known to harry his staff when he is overworked"; "This man harasses his female co-workers"
   harass  hassle  harry  chivy  chivvy  chevy  chevvy  beset  plague  molest  provoke 
   
3. evoke or provoke to appear or occur
   "Her behavior provoked a quarrel between the couple"
   provoke  evoke  call forth  kick up 
   
4. provide the needed stimulus for
   provoke  stimulate