1. (v. t.) To call forth; to call into being or action; esp., to incense to action, a faculty or passion, as love, hate, or ambition; hence, commonly, to incite, as a person, to action by a challenge, by taunts, or by defiance; to exasperate; to irritate; to offend intolerably; to cause to retaliate.

2. (v. i.) To cause provocation or anger.

3. (v. i.) To appeal. [A Latinism]

abet abrade activate affect the interest affront agent provocateur aggravate agitate alienate amplify anger animate annoy answer back antagonize arouse attract augment awaken badger bait be at bedevil beset bestir blow the coals bother breed bring bring about bring on bristle brown off bug build up bullyrag burn up call forth call up cause chafe challenge chivy come between compel concern contrive deepen deteriorate devil disaffect discompose distemper distress disturb disunite divide dog draw down draw on drive effect egg on electrify elicit embitter encourage engender enhance enlarge enliven enrage enthuse envenom estrange evoke exacerbate exalt exasperate excite excite interest exercise exhilarate fan fan the flame fascinate fash feed the fire ferment fillip fire foment force fret frustrate gall galvanize get get up goad grate grate on gravel gripe grit harass harry hatch heat heat up heckle hector heighten hot up hound huff impassion impel incense incite increase induce inflame inform infuriate infuse life into inspire instigate insult intensify interest invigorate invite involve in irk irritate jazz up kindle lead light the fuse lip madden magnify make acute make trouble make worse miff molest motivate move muster up nag needle nettle nudzh obtain occasion offend outrage peeve persecute perturb pester pick on pick up pique pit against plague pluck the beard pother prime procure produce promote prompt push put out put up to quicken raise rally rankle rasp renew resuscitate revive ride rile roil rouse ruffle sass sauce separate set set against set at odds set at variance set on set on edge set up sharpen sic on sour sow dissension spur on start stimulate stir stir the blood stir the embers stir up stir up trouble summon up superinduce talk back tantalize tease thrill tickle titillate titivate torment trouble try the patience tweak the nose upset vex wake waken whet whip up work up worry worsen