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.
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
Example Sentences
The old house evoked memories of his childhood. His photographs evoke the isolation and solitude of the desert.
Recent Examples on the WebThe great French writers of the last century tend to evoke, in recollection, a single hue, a color tone that resonates from their work into our imaginations. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2022 Of the seven costumes that Edris will wear as Cleopatra, several will evoke imagery related to Isis. Tony Bravo, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Sep. 2022 The poem’s tercets evoke an uneasy balance, until the fourth stanza, where a quatrain appears, suspending time for just a little bit longer, like those who leaped from the burning floors.New York Times, 8 Sep. 2022 The flowers today evoke the Palace in the immediate aftermath of Diana's death in 1997. Emily Burack, Town & Country, 31 Aug. 2022 The series' 10 episodes average about a half hour each and evoke a stage play, with a small cast of characters and most of the action confined to one room. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2022 Few objects evoke Gen X or millennial childhood as powerfully as the Trapper Keeper, essentially a large binder for your folders.BostonGlobe.com, 26 Aug. 2022 Bright colors, strong lines and harsh angles evoke the slash of modern machinery in Vorticist works. Brigit Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Aug. 2022 Circular and spotted markings evoke a sky map — loosely, the place where the rain came from. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
French évoquer, from Latin evocare, from e- + vocare to call — more at vocation
ADVERB | VERB + EVOKE | EVOKE + NOUNADVERB➤beautifully, clearly, effectively, nicely, powerfully, successfully, vividly好好地喚起;清晰地喚起;有效喚起;成功喚起;生動地喚起◇The novel vividly evokes the life of the Irish in Australia.這部小說生動地再現了在澳大利亞的愛爾蘭人的生活。➤immediately立刻喚起▸➤still依然喚起◇Her face, though sad, still evoked a feeling of serenity.她雖然面帶悲傷,但仍使人感覺安詳。VERB + EVOKE➤attempt to, seek to, try to, want to試圖/力求/設法/想要喚起➤help (to)幫助喚起◇products that help evoke an old-fashioned mood幫助喚起人們懷舊心情的產品➤be able to, manage to能夠/設法喚起➤seem to似乎喚起▸➤be designed to, be intended to, be meant to旨在/意在/打算喚起◇narrative techniques that are intended to evoke sympathy from the reader旨在喚起讀者同情心的敍述手法➤use sth to用⋯來喚起◇Music can be used to evoke childhood.音樂可用於喚起童年的記憶。EVOKE + NOUN➤the ability to evoke sth, the power to evoke sth能喚起⋯的能力/力量◇the actor's ability to evoke a variety of emotions演員喚起人們各種各樣情感的能力