stoke
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
stokes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
stoked,
past participle, past
-
stoking
present participle
-
to poke, stir up, and feed (a fire).
-
to tend the fire of (a furnace, especially one used with a boiler to generate steam for an engine); supply with fuel.
verb (used without object)
-
stokes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
stoked,
past participle, past
-
stoking
present participle
-
to shake up the coals of a fire.
-
to tend a fire or furnace.
noun
verb
-
to feed, stir, and tend (a fire, furnace, etc)
-
(tr) to tend the furnace of; act as a stoker for
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
stokesimple
-
stokessimple
-
have stokedperfect
-
has stokedperfect
-
am stokingprogressive
-
are stokingprogressive
-
is stokingprogressive
-
have been stokingperfect progressive
-
has been stokingperfect progressive
Past
-
stokedsimple
-
had stokedperfect
-
was stokingprogressive
-
were stokingprogressive
-
had been stokingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of stoke1
1675–85; < Dutch stoken to feed or stock a fire; see stock
Origin of stoke2
After Sir G. Stokes
Explanation
To stoke is to poke a fire and fuel it so that it burns higher. Stoke can also mean "incite" — a principal's impassive silence in the face of requests for more tater tots might stoke the flames of student anger. When a surfer says, "I am so stoked," it means she is excited — the fire of enthusiasm is burning hotter. It's interesting to reflect on how many words in our language have to do with the tending of fires, an activity that has become much less common in recent human history.
Vocabulary lists containing stoke
100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Words You Need to See in the Wild
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Bronx Masquerade
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
It’s the gift that keeps on giving: They stoke the flames, and the flames reward them back.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
Perhaps I’m protective of that difference because, of course, companies have always tried to stoke and steer desire.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
Reading gave him a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that followed him into early adulthood — a penchant he would like to stoke in his fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
The Anthropic hacks are sure to further stoke fears over the potential harms of powerful AI models and how to mitigate them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
The thread tugs harder, and I stoke the flame with names.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
“Geopolitical tension should drive safe-haven buying, but when it spikes oil, it stokes inflation, which pushes the Fed to tighten — and that’s gold’s kryptonite,” he said, referring to gold’s weakness.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Global success of AI-related companies in South Korea, Taiwan and Japan stokes red-hot market fever.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
A pattern emerges: The crowd suspects a problem, then Pangram validates the suspicion, stokes the mob, and sells the solution.
From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2026
The fight for new capital saps investment from other sectors, while meeting increasingly grandiose ambitions requires more computing power, which in turn demands more energy, which stokes energy price increases, and so on.
From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026
She stokes it with more hunks of turkey and whole candied yams.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
The threat of exclusion from the dollar-based financial system stoked speculation that some countries and banks might buy dollars pre-emptively, lifting the dollar, IG analysts said in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Polls suggest Ossoff will easily win his Senate race this fall, which has stoked speculation that he may run for president in 2028.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
In recent months, Ossoff’s skill on the stump has stoked speculation about his aspirations for 2028.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
That has stoked inflation expectations and sent US government debt costs soaring.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
The fires have been stoked and the ovens left open to disperse the heat.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Theater, in other words, that was creating a sense of belonging and not simply stoking an appetite for consuming.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Flock CEO Garrett Langley has accused some opponents of being "terrorists," stoking the fire.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
Another surge in oil prices is stoking inflation concerns and helping force benchmark borrowing costs to multi-month highs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Oil prices hit $100 a barrel for the first time since May on Thursday after several days of increases, stoking fears of higher inflation and a lower likelihood of interest rate cuts.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The gaslight burned harsh on Frankie’s face, stoking a fire in his tawny eyes and carving his features into cruel angles.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
