What does it mean to provoke someone?

To provoke someone means to instigate, agitate, or incite them, often leading to feelings of anger or heightened emotional responses. This term carries a connotation of deliberately stirring up feelings or reactions, making "to anger or arouse them" the correct choice. In many contexts, provoking someone can result in a dispute or conflict, as it involves challenging their emotions or behavior.

The other options do not align with the meaning of "provoke." Calming someone's emotions is the opposite of provoking them. Entertaining someone does not necessarily involve emotional disturbance, and supporting a person's actions also contrasts with the idea of provoking, which typically involves instigating a reaction rather than providing support.