English Explanatory Dictionary

instigate

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To bring about by urging or encouraging.
  2. To goad or urge (a person) forward, especially to wicked actions.

Pronunciation

/ˈɪnstəɡeɪt/ en-us-instigate.ogg

Word forms

instigate instigates instigating instigated

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin īnstīgātus, perfect passive participle of īnstīgō (“to instigate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Synonyms

foment provoke animate encourage impel incite spur stimulate tempt urge

Antonyms

halt prevent stop

Related words

instigation instigator

Derived words

instigatable instigatingly instigative instigatory reinstigate uninstigated
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on I Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary