verb
evoke
ih-VOHK/ɪˈvəʊk/
Bring something to mind or stir a feeling or response.
The music box evokes the father's tender memories of childhood with his mother.
Etymology
To evoke was to call or summon something forth, often a spirit. The mental sense applies that same act of summoning to feelings, memories, and images.
In context
The poem uses striking imagery of like aging bodies and decaying nature to evoke a sense of the inevitable passage of time.
More examples
- The photograph evoked a sudden feeling of homesickness.
- His speech evoked laughter and sympathy.
- The music evokes a quiet summer evening.
Forms
evoke · evokes · evoked · evoking
evocation noun — the act of bringing something to mind
Similar words
- elicit
- Elicit means draw out a response; evoke often brings a memory, image, or feeling to mind.
- invoke
- Invoke means call upon something for help or authority; evoke means bring it to mind or stir it.