Meaning & use
unprovoked
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Done without any reason or earlier action by the victim to cause it, especially of an attack or harsh words.
Grammar: Usually before a noun: an unprovoked attack.
The report described an unprovoked attack on a passing cyclist.
His unprovoked outburst surprised everyone in the meeting.
The country condemned the unprovoked invasion.
adjectiveafter a verb
Not having been angered or challenged by anyone.
Grammar: Describes the person or animal that acted: the dog bit him unprovoked.
The dog was calm and unprovoked until the stranger arrived.
The driver was unprovoked, yet he shouted at the passengers.
She stayed unprovoked despite the teasing.
Common combinations
- unprovoked attack
- Police are investigating an unprovoked attack outside the club.
- unprovoked aggression
- The treaty bans unprovoked aggression.
- unprovoked assault
- He was charged with an unprovoked assault.
- unprovoked violence
- The video showed unprovoked violence.
- entirely unprovoked
- The attack was entirely unprovoked.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unjustified
- Unjustified says there was no good reason, while unprovoked says specifically that nothing the victim did started it.
- gratuitous
- Gratuitous suggests something done needlessly and often excessively, with no purpose, and can apply to more than attacks.
- causeless
- Causeless is rare and literary, meaning without any cause, and does not refer to the victim's behavior.
- unwarranted
- Unwarranted means not deserved or needed, and is wider than unprovoked, which is mainly about hostile acts.
Opposites
Word family
- provoke verb
- to cause a reaction, especially anger
- provocation noun
- an action meant to cause anger
- provocative adjective
- likely to cause a strong reaction
- provoked adjective
- made angry or driven to react
Commonly confused: unprovoked or uninvited?
unprovoked vs uninvited
Uninvited means not asked to come, whereas unprovoked describes an action with no cause from the other person.
Practice
The witness said the attack was ___; the victim had said nothing to the attacker.
Choose one answer.
Unprovoked means nothing the victim did caused it. Provoked is the opposite, and deserved or expected do not match the witness's point.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unprovoked”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.