evoke

Definitions

e- (out) + voke (call) = "call out." But what you call out is intangible — a memory, a mood, an atmosphere — so the calling becomes "summon into the mind."

Example Sentences

• 1.

  The smell of rain evokes memories of my childhood home.

• 2.

  The painting evokes a deep sense of calm and stillness.

• 3.

  His speech evoked strong emotions in the audience.

Easily Confused

evoke vs invoke — you evoke a feeling that rises on its own (the music evoked sadness); you invoke an authority you actively appeal to (invoke the law, invoke God's name). Rule of thumb: evoke draws something out of the listener; invoke calls something in to back you up.