unprovoked

adjective
UK: /ˌʌnprəˈvəʊkt/
US: /ˌʌnprəˈvoʊkt/

  1. Without any cause or reason; done without being provoked or made angry.

    1. The dog bit him in an unprovoked attack.
    2. The sudden, unprovoked violence shocked everyone who witnessed the event, leaving them speechless.

Synonyms

gratuitous unjustified groundless wanton
unprovoked adverb

  1. In a way that is without cause or reason.

    1. He acted unprovoked, and now regrets it.
    2. She started crying unprovoked, which made me think something was seriously wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "unprovoked" is /ˌʌnprəˈvəʊkt/ in British English and /ˌʌnprəˈvoʊkt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "unprovoked": gratuitous, unjustified, groundless, wanton.

Example usage of "unprovoked": "The dog bit him in an unprovoked attack.". More examples on the page.