evoke

American  

[ih-vohk] / ɪˈvoʊk /

verb (used with object)

evoked, evoking

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.

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evoke British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• evocable adjective
• evoker noun
• unevoked adjective

Etymology

Origin of evoke

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

Example Sentences

This unstable, indeterminate flickering sensation is what Mr. Lerner wants to evoke as he maneuvers his stories between the polarities of the real and the imaginary.

From The Wall Street Journal

Revered producer and saxophonist Josh Johnson, guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist Anna Butterss and drummer Deantoni Parks also bring their considerable chops to the mix, evoking divergent moods while maintaining a signature exuberance throughout.

From Los Angeles Times

But Mr. Lithgow’s performance is infused with a sneaky playfulness evoking the “broken boy,” as Jessie puts it, still cavorting in the hulk of an elderly man.

From The Wall Street Journal

Emerson often tailors his tone to evoke what it feels like to read a particular writer who has such qualities.

From The Wall Street Journal

Like so much of her work, “The Lawrence Tree” evokes nature rather than replicating it.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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