evoke

evoke — verb

1. to cause a particular memory, emotion, or mental image to arise in someone's min

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to cause a particular memory, emotion, or mental image to arise in someone's mind, often one that is vivid or deeply felt.

例句

The old black-and-white photograph evoked memories of Andrés's childhood summers in Taiwan.

For many listeners, that simple piano melody evokes a deep sense of peace and nostalgia.

music + evoke + sense of [emotion] — collocation pattern

同義詞
  • call to mind

    more formal and deliberate; often used of conscious recollection rather than involuntary feeling

  • conjure up

    more informal; suggests creating a vivid mental image, often intentionally

  • summon

    implies conscious effort or active calling forth of a memory or feeling

反義詞
  • suppress

    actively push a memory or feeling out of one's mind

  • forget

    memory fades or is lost over time

文法句型

evoke + noun phrase (memory, feeling, image)

用法筆記

Frequently used with abstract objects — memories, emotions, or sensory impressions. The subject is often a sensory trigger such as a smell, sound, image, or place rather than a person.

常見錯誤

❌The song evoked me happy.
✅The song evoked happy memories in me.
💡evoke takes a direct object that is a memory, feeling, or image, not a person with a state.
❌I evoked about my childhood.
✅The old house evoked childhood memories.
💡evoke is transitive; the thing that calls forth the memory is the subject.

2. to produce a particular reaction, response, or effect from someone, especially o

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to produce a particular reaction, response, or effect from someone, especially one that is noticeable or strong.

例句

The mayor's unexpected announcement about the tax increase evoked strong criticism from local business owners.

proposal/announcement + evoke + reaction from [group] — typical collocation

Her speech about the refugee crisis evoked genuine compassion from the audience that night.

同義詞
  • elicit

    more neutral and technical; focuses on drawing out a response or information, often deliberately

  • provoke

    stronger and often negative; suggests the response is intense, angry, or unwilling

  • trigger

    more informal; implies an automatic, sudden cause-and-effect relationship

反義詞
  • quell

    stop or calm a reaction, especially a negative one

  • deter

    discourage or prevent a response from occurring

文法句型

evoke + noun phrase (reaction, response)

用法筆記

The subject is typically an action, event, or statement rather than a person. The object is usually an abstract reaction such as anger, sympathy, criticism, laughter, or applause.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher evoked the students to answer.
✅The teacher's question evoked a response from the students.
💡evoke cannot take a person as its direct object meaning 'cause someone to do something.'