1. Something that causes a person to be angry, to be irritated, or to have a resentment: The fact that Tom deliberately threw down his cup at the dining table caused his parents to have a provokingness that made them decide to have him leave the table and go to his room without finishing his dinner.
2. An action or words which trigger positive or negative responses from someone or from a group of people: The driver drove at a very high speed, overtaking all of the cars on the freeway, and this provokingness caused angry feelings and reactions from the other drivers, who drove according to the speed limit.