evoke

[ ih-vohk ]

verb (used with object)

, e·voked, e·vok·ing.

1. to call up or produce (memories, feelings, etc.):

   to evoke a memory.

2. to elicit or draw forth:

   His comment evoked protests from the shocked listeners.

3. to call up; cause to appear; summon:

   to evoke a spirit from the dead.

4. to produce or suggest through artistry and imagination a vivid impression of reality:

   a short passage that manages to evoke the smells, colors, sounds, and shapes of that metropolis.

evoke

/ ˈɛvəkəbəl; ɪˈvəʊk /

verb

1. to call or summon up (a memory, feeling, etc), esp from the past
2. to call forth or provoke; produce; elicit

   his words evoked an angry reply

3. to cause (spirits) to appear; conjure up

Usage

See evince invoke

Derived Forms

• evocable, adjective
• eˈvoker, noun

Other Words From

• e·voker noun
• une·voked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of evoke¹

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin ēvocāre, from ē- e- ¹ + vocāre “to call” (akin to vōx voice )

Word History and Origins

Origin of evoke¹

C17: from Latin ēvocāre to call forth, from vocāre to call

Example Sentences

At Michigan, he would be a formidable recruiter, able to evoke the tradition of his former iconic coach, Bo Schembechler.

From The Daily Beast

Meanwhile younger, lighter colors evoke citrus and tree fruits, candy sugars and vanilla toffee.

From The Daily Beast

Thankfully, the piece did not try to evoke the Internet through tired dance gestures or pseudo-digital music.

From The Daily Beast

Her novels typically evoke this pinched sense of an era—raw individuals in raw times.

From The Daily Beast

Her skin radiates deep golden-brown and her light olive eyes evoke the iconic 1985 National Geographic cover of an Afghan girl.

From The Daily Beast

It simply finds relation already existing between the words or the ideas which the words suggest or evoke.

From Project Gutenberg

The soul, instinctively appreciative of beauty, will under the most adverse circumstances, evoke congenial visions.

From Project Gutenberg

He knew that his death would evoke a new spirit of inquiry, which would spread over the civilized world.

From Project Gutenberg

In such, or fitter words, does Camille evoke the Elemental Powers, in this great moment.

From Project Gutenberg

The mere sight of a loaf of bread anywhere was enough to evoke guffaws.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• arouse
• conjure
• elicit
• invoke
• provoke
• recall