evocative

adjective

evoc·​a·​tive i-ˈvä-kə-tiv 

: evoking or tending to evoke an especially emotional response

… settings … so evocative that they bring tears to the eyes …

—Eric Malpass

evocatively adverb

evocativeness noun

Synonyms of evocative

• reminiscent

Examples of evocative in a Sentence

He wrote a powerful and evocative biography.

the Italian-American restaurant is decorated in a manner evocative of the charming outdoor cafés in Italy

Recent Examples on the Web

These evocative, volcanic islands, cast adrift off the northeast coast of Sicily, remain salted, fresh, and gloriously disheveled. —Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026

Nas sounds hungry again, his dense, circular writing a tangle of flashbacks and evocative images of preachers rebuking demons and Yoda smoking blunts. —Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2026

Instead, Brewer went up to his two stars and gave them a few evocative notes. —Brent Lang, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026

Take Kate, whose every evocative smile is expressed by the luminous Leslie Bibb. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for evocative

• provocative
• talkative
• vocative

Kids Definition

evocative

adjective

evoc·​a·​tive i-ˈväk-ət-iv 

: having the power to evoke an especially emotional response

an evocative photograph