evoke
Americanverb (used with object)
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evokes,
present (3rd person singular)
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evoked,
past participle, past
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evoking
present participle
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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
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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evokesimple
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evokessimple
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have evokedperfect
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has evokedperfect
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am evokingprogressive
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are evokingprogressive
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is evokingprogressive
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have been evokingperfect progressive
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has been evokingperfect progressive
Past
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evokedsimple
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had evokedperfect
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was evokingprogressive
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were evokingprogressive
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had been evokingperfect progressive
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
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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.
See Examples For:
"The man's crossed legs might evoke indifference, the phone a culture of emptiness, the parasol a comfort people cling to," it said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Originally designed to evoke a classic Greek column, the structure's limestone, brick and terra-cotta exterior features ornamentation including lion heads, wreaths, eagles, and faces.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Pedestrians crossing the bridge pass through a fabricated interior, a cavern-like space printed in 3D realism and enhanced with a specially designed scent to evoke the dank, earthy aroma of humankind’s early habitations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026
Many other businesses have stock symbols that playfully evoke their corporate missions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
Once it had had the power to evoke fear.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
Napoli's third kit evokes designs famously worn during the 1986-87 and 1988-90 seasons, when a certain Diego Maradona inspired the club to two Serie A titles.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Rahele Jomepour Bell’s deft use of acrylic paint and soft pastels evokes a world of hazy tranquility, a palette of greens, golds and oranges imbuing each page with a palpable warmth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
If his first name inevitably evokes Arthurian legend, Fery’s march through the draw gave Britain reason to believe again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Cole’s central image evokes the imperial grandeur of Rome before it is felled, in the next canvas, by fire, flood and barbarous invaders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Under the smoke, that scent—fresh, lemony, aromatic— evokes a memory of sitting on the train next to him, just like I am now7, only we’re going the other way and someone is laughing really loudly.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
We’re looking back at the headbands, earrings, shoes, sunglasses and bags that evoked L.A. most — captured backstage by Image contributing photographer Tyler Matthew Oyer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
A group of people were gathered around a large dining table beneath a massive chandelier of antler, a tableau that evoked some kind of Viking summit.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
Intrigued by the vague mixture of menace and nostalgia that the image evoked, internet users began sharing stories and speculating that the Backrooms is a hidden dimension into which people might accidentally find themselves.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
Adams is a curious sort, a player Clarke cherishes but who has never evoked major support among the Tartan Army.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
“The magic I evoked fifteen years ago means that Harry has powerful protection while he can still call this house ‘home.’
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Launching their new partnership with Oxen, Hull City have released a very retro kit for the new campaign, evoking the shirts the Tigers wore during the late seventies.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
I had no idea what flavor the Cosmic Vibe one was evoking, beyond “red very sweet,” but by the time I’d finished it, I couldn’t have cared less.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
"We have lived long and endured for 60 years and going," he said, evoking the famous motto of Leonard Nimoy's Mr Spock.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
With Big Bear Lake glittering in the distance, he raises each foot in a kneading motion — evoking a bald eagle massage.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2026
My heart felt like the Grinch’s, expanding three sizes with Elle’s voice evoking all the Whos in Who-ville singing on Christmas Day.
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
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.
