evoke

verb

\ i-ˈvōk

evoked; evoking

Definition of evoke

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

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym evoke or invoke? Example Sentences Learn More about evoke

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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

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.

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

Saturated, primary colors tend to evoke feelings of stress or high energy. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "14 Calming Paint Colors That Will Change the Way You Live," 9 Jan. 2019 The tile floors are custom, made to evoke a pattern Ellis saw in Valencia, Spain. — Samantha Weiss Hills, Curbed, "“Every morning, I wake up and notice something new about it”," 3 Dec. 2018 Certain medications like statins (which are used for cholesterol), blood pressure-lowering medications, and opioids are all known to naturally evoke an itchy sensation that’s not necessarily accompanied by any skin lesions. — Ratika Gupta, SELF, "An Allergist Explains Why You Might Be Itchy All Over, Even Though You Don’t Have a Rash," 13 Sep. 2018 The old hymn evoked it for more than a century before it was picked up as a song of protest and liberation by the civil rights movement. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "What two fictional Gileads can teach us about America in 2018," 12 July 2018 That dollar bill did not make it into the TATC’s exhibition but that display evoked it, as well as a 1987 memory, when Eppie moved her column from the Sun-Times to the Tribune. — Rick Kogan, chicagotribune.com, "On the 100th birthday of Ann Landers, a play, a typewriter and a lot of memories," 28 June 2018 Two curveballs ended the at-bat, a strikeout to evoke the same McCullers scream that would punctuate his seventh inning. — Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle, "Lance McCullers thwarts his hometown Rays in Astros' shutout win," 28 June 2018 Even Greektown Casino recently jumped on the trend with the introduction of its Monroe Market, designed to evoke the feel of a modern American food hall despite all the vendors being run by the same operator. — Mark Kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, "Food halls set out to be the next big thing in Detroit dining," 15 June 2018 Driving home the storytelling focus of Rocknak’s memorial is the nighttime lighting of the figures, which dances on their stony faces so as to evoke a deeply personal fireside discussion. — Ryan P. Smith, Smithsonian, "This Innovative Memorial Will Soon Honor Native American Veterans," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'evoke.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.