goaded

VERB

egg on, incite

Synonyms

STRONGEST

coerce harass hound prod provoke tease

STRONG

animate annoy arouse bully drive encourage excite exhort force goose impel inspirit instigate irritate lash move needle press prick prompt propel push rowel sic sound spark spur stimulate sting thrust trigger urge whip worry

WEAK

fire up key up put up to turn on work up

Antonyms

STRONGEST

leave alone

STRONG

aid block bore calm check deaden depress discourage dissuade halt lull please praise prevent pull quiet repress soothe stop suppress surrender

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The first purpose is to keep the audience laser-focused on the differences between love and romance, leading them to believe that observing the distinction is their own doing, not something Barker goaded them into.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026

And the message-board-born concept of a “lolcow,” a gullible user who can be goaded into making a fool of themselves on a regular basis, definitely predated the music video.

From Salon • Feb. 16, 2026

They felt he had been goaded into a moment of weakness.

From BBC • Sep. 19, 2025

It’s six minutes of deep-bottomed polytonal funk — topped with synthesizer jabs and horn lines, goaded by a hard-rock guitar riff — that veers between disenchanted verses and a conditionally optimistic chorus.

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2024

“This is a disaster. I’m a disaster. I’m probably causing the end of the world, like, right now. But I couldn’t help it. Shale goaded me. And it’s 1999! The best year!”

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly