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
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has evokedperfect 3rd person singular
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have evokedperfect
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am evokingprogressive 1st person singular
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are evokingprogressive
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evokingparticiple
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evokessingular 3rd person
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has been evokingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is evokingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been evokingperfect progressive
Past
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had evokedperfect
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had been evokingperfect progressive
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evokedparticiple
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evokedsimple
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was evokingprogressive singular
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were evokingprogressive plural
Future
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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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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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.
I tasked each of them to craft an individual curated playlist for whatever occasion or mood they wanted to evoke for the summer.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
Eva Owen, programme manager at Wakehurst, said they were "delighted" to host the pieces which "evoke the themes of care, protection and conservation".
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
“Lynx eyes” evoke lethality; mischievous boys are “lynxes that nothing escapes.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
As the Royal Pop is on a lanyard, it manages to evoke both a traditional masculine pocket watch and a fashion accessory that can be hung from a handbag.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Citra wondered what sort of response that might evoke from Curie.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
