evoke
Americanverb (used with object)
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to call up or produce (memories, feelings, etc.).
to evoke a memory.
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to elicit or draw forth.
His comment evoked protests from the shocked listeners.
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to call up; cause to appear; summon.
to evoke a spirit from the dead.
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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.
verb
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to call or summon up (a memory, feeling, etc), esp from the past
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to call forth or provoke; produce; elicit
his words evoked an angry reply
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to cause (spirits) to appear; conjure up
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of evoke
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin ēvocāre, from ē- e- 1 + vocāre “to call” (akin to vōx voice )
Explanation
The verb evoke most commonly means to bring a feeling, memory, or picture into the mind. When you visit your old elementary school, the smells, sounds, and colors there can evoke memories from the past. Similarly, a certain reaction can be evoked by words or actions, as in "His comments evoked anger in the community." A near synonym is elicit, as in "No matter how many different ways the detective questioned the suspect, he could not elicit any response. Evoke was borrowed from Latin evocare, from the prefix e- "out," plus vocare "to call."
Vocabulary lists containing evoke
Night
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Alex Shahidi, co-chief investment officer at Evoke Advisors, said the circularity of OpenAI’s deals complicated the picture for markets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
Dean Ward is the founder and chief product officer at Evoke Creative.
From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026
Wilderness therapy's primary trade group, the Outdoor Behavioral Health Care Council, issues accreditation to members — including Katherine's program, Evoke Cascades — using metrics developed in part by Gass.
From Salon • Feb. 2, 2020
Next to Gold Bar/Oro Kitchen sits Evoke Coffee Co. and Café An’Clair, both serving breakfast sandwiches and pastries, targeting the Amazon workforce and other busy bees needing breakfast or lunch on the run.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 13, 2018
Evoke in your rapt aspiration the essence of a supreme good, and you will have understood why the spheres revolve, why the earth is fertile, and why mankind suffers and exists.
From Three Philosophical Poets Lucretius, Dante, and Goethe by Santayana, George
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
