Japanese symbol for “provocative”
挑発的
ちょうはつてき
Romaji: chouhatsuteki
provocative; incendiary; inflammatory
In Japanese, provocative is 挑発的, read ちょうはつてき (chouhatsuteki).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-na provocative; incendiary; inflammatory
- adj-na suggestive; lascivious; risqué
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “provocative”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 刺激的 | しげきてき shigekiteki | stimulating; exciting; provocative |
| 挑戦的 | ちょうせんてき chousenteki | challenging; defiant; provocative |
| 尖った | とがった togatta | provocative; radical; rebellious |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 挑戦 | ちょうせん chousen | challenge; defiance; dare |
| 挑発 | ちょうはつ chouhatsu | provocation; stirring up; arousal |
| 挑む | いどむ idomu | to challenge to (a fight, game, etc.); to throw down the gauntlet; to contend for |
| 初挑戦 | はつちょうせん hatsuchousen | first challenge; first try |
| 挑戦者 | ちょうせんしゃ chousensha | challenger |
| 発売 | はつばい hatsubai | sale; offering for sale; putting on sale |
| 発表 | はっぴょう happyou | announcement; publication; presenting |
| 開発 | かいはつ kaihatsu | development; cultivation; application |
| 目的 | もくてき mokuteki | purpose; goal; aim |
See also: Chinese symbol for “provocative”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.