1. to shock or astonish, especially by behaving in a way that violates social conventions or expectations
Usage: French origin; often used in the phrase 'épater les bourgeois' (to shock the middle class); literary or formal

Examples

• The avant-garde artist sought to epater the conservative art establishment with provocative installations.
• His unconventional fashion choices were designed to epater his traditional family.
• The playwright's controversial dialogue was meant to epater audiences accustomed to polite theater.
• She used shocking statements to epater her stuffy colleagues at the corporate event.
• The musician's experimental sound was intended to epater listeners expecting classical melodies.