evoke

[ih-vohk]

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.

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

Other Word Forms

• evocable adjective
• evoker noun
• unevoked 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

Coogan believes Partridge's longevity is down to him having "evolved" into a more "three-dimensional" figure, capable of evoking "pathos".

From BBC

They wore neutrals, greens blues and purples, evoking the light, earth and sea, the AFP news agency reported.

From BBC

These days, even the opponents of these bills have accepted the premise that the state faces a “housing shortage,” a term evoked at least 30 times in committee hearings and floor speeches this year.

From Los Angeles Times

For Wonder, 75, Riperton’s music evokes a kinder, gentler era, her soothing voice an embodiment of “a commitment to music, a commitment to peace, a commitment to unity, a commitment to bringing people together.”

From Los Angeles Times

Sheinbaum evoked the Holocaust, saying “many of my relatives ... were exterminated in concentration camps.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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