serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate; stimulating discussion or exciting controversy; "a provocative remark"; "a provocative smile"; "provocative Irish tunes which...compel the hearers to dance"- Anthony Trollope
exciting sexual desire; "her gestures and postures became more wanton and provocative"
lost in thought; showing preoccupation; "an absent stare"; "an absentminded professor"; "the scatty glancing quality of a hyperactive but unfocused intelligence"
requiring effort or concentration; complex and not easy to answer or solve; "raised serious objections to the proposal"; "the plan has a serious flaw"
of great consequence; "marriage is a serious matter"
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities; "a serious student of history"; "a serious attempt to learn to ski"; "gave me a serious look"; "a serious young man"; "are you serious or joking?"; "Don't be so serious!"