ENGLISH
REFERENCE

evoke

v.
C1 Advanced Oxford US //iˈvoʊk// UK //ɪvˈəʊk// evoke

v. to bring a feeling, memory, or image into your mind. You use this when something like a smell or a song makes you remember or feel something clearly.

v. to elicit or summon a particular memory, emotion, or mental image. Often used in literary or artistic contexts to describe how a work of art triggers a response in the audience.


SIMPLE

The old song helps evoke memories of my childhood.

CONTEXTUAL

The author uses sensory details like the smell of salt air to evoke the atmosphere of a seaside town.

COMPLEX

The director's use of stark lighting and a minimalist score was intended to evoke a sense of isolation and dread in the viewer.

Synonyms
Origin

From French évoquer, from Latin ēvocō (“to call out, summon”), from ex (“out”) and vocō (“call”). Akin to voice.

Usage

The verb is transitive and requires a direct object, typically an abstract noun like 'memory', 'feeling', or 'image'.

Pitfall

The movie evoked me of my home.The movie evoked memories of my home.Evoke does not take a person as a direct object to mean 'remind'; it takes the memory or feeling itself as the object.

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