evoke

verb

i-ˈvōk 

evoked; evoking

transitive verb

1

: to call forth or up: such as

a

: to bring to mind or recollection

this place evokes memories

b

: to cite especially with approval or for support : invoke

c

: conjure sense 2a

evoke evil spirits

2

: to re-create imaginatively

Did you know?

evoke or invoke?

Don’t feel bad if you have difficulty remembering the difference between evoke and invoke, as the words are quite similar in many ways and have considerable overlap in meaning. However, the words do differ, and you would not want to substitute one for the other. Invoke is used of putting into effect or calling upon such things as laws, authority, or privilege (“the principal invoked a rule forbidding students from asking questions”). Evoke is primarily used in the sense “to call forth or up” and is often found in connection with such things as memories, emotions, or sympathy.

Synonyms

• educe
• elicit
• inspire
• raise

Choose the Right Synonym for evoke

educe, evoke, elicit, extract, extort mean to draw out something hidden, latent, or reserved.

educe implies the bringing out of something potential or latent.

educed order out of chaos

evoke implies a strong stimulus that arouses an emotion or an interest or recalls an image or memory.

a song that evokes warm memories

elicit usually implies some effort or skill in drawing forth a response.

careful questioning elicited the truth

extract implies the use of force or pressure in obtaining answers or information.

extracted a confession from him

extort suggests a wringing or wresting from one who resists strongly.

extorted their cooperation by threatening to inform

Examples of evoke in a Sentence

The old house evoked memories of his childhood.

His photographs evoke the isolation and solitude of the desert.

Recent Examples on the Web

The airport also offers a pre-security sensory room in its new Terminal A aimed at evoking a serene river scene. —Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2024

Paintings such as Dark Pasture Encounter: Conduit (2023) and Night Prey, or (The Prey of the Terrible shall be Delivered), 2024, evoke the ecstatic, almost erotic experience of the divine. —Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2024

And perhaps most importantly, a tight, suspenseful plot: The story should evoke a rising sense of dread, luring the reader into a world where danger lurks around every corner and suffering skulks in the shadows. —Jordan Kopy, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024

All the while chain curtains evoke the surveyor tools Banneker would have used to map out the city. —Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French évoquer, from Latin evocare, from e- + vocare to call — more at vocation

First Known Use

circa 1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

evoke

verb

i-ˈvōk 

evoked; evoking

: to call forth or up : summon

the song evoked memories of summer