stoke

IPA/stəʊk/
KK[stˈok]IPA/stəʊk/

stoke — verb

  • stokepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • stokeshe / she / it
  • stokedpast simple
  • stoking-ing form

1. to add solid fuel such as coal or wood to a fire, and push the burning material

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to add solid fuel such as coal or wood to a fire, and push the burning material around with a metal rod or poker so the fire stays hot and bright.

例句

Nicholas knelt by the fireplace and used the poker to stoke the burning logs.

stoke + direct object (fire/logs) with a tool

Every few hours, Lien got up to stoke the kitchen stove with fresh coal.

stoke + noun (stove) + with + fuel

同義詞
  • poke

    less specific — just prodding without necessarily adding fuel

  • tend

    broader — includes adding fuel, adjusting air flow, and cleaning ash

反義詞
  • douse

    to put out a fire with water

  • bank

    to cover a fire with ash so it burns slowly — the opposite of stoking for full heat

文法句型

stoke + noun (fire/stove/furnace/embers)

stoke + adverb particle (stoke up)

intransitive: stoke at the fire

用法筆記

Frequently used with up (stoke up the fire). The intransitive form is less common but appears in contexts describing the action itself: He stoked and prodded until the flames caught. Distinguish this sense from the figurative sense (sense 2) by checking whether the object is an actual fire or heat source.

常見錯誤

❌She stoked the fire with gasoline.
✅She stoked the fire with a poker.
💡stoking implies adding solid fuel and stirring, not pouring liquid accelerant.
❌He stoked the candle to make it burn brighter.
✅He stoked the fireplace to make the fire burn brighter.
💡stoke is used for large fires or furnaces, not small flames like candles.

2. to deliberately make a feeling, situation, or activity stronger or more active —

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to deliberately make a feeling, situation, or activity stronger or more active — for instance, stoking anger in a crowd, stoking interest in a product, or stoking fears about a political issue.

例句

The politician's speech stoked the fears of people worried about losing their jobs.

stoke + noun (fears) — figurative emotion object

Social media posts can quickly stoke public anger if they contain misleading information.

stoke + noun (public anger) — common collocation

同義詞
  • fuel

    very similar in meaning; fuel can be neutral while stoke often implies deliberate intensification

  • fan

    suggests spreading widely (fan the flames); more dramatic than stoke

  • provoke

    focuses on causing a reaction, often deliberately; stronger negative tone

反義詞
  • quell

    to stop or calm a feeling or conflict — the opposite of intensifying

  • dampen

    to make a feeling less strong, often by introducing contrary information

文法句型

stoke + noun (anger/fear/tension/interest/rivalry)

stoke + up + noun

用法筆記

Object is almost always an abstract noun denoting a negative emotion (anger, fear, resentment, hatred), a conflict (tensions, rivalry, disputes), or a desire (interest, curiosity). Subject is typically a person, an institution, or a communication medium (speech, article, video). Common in news and political commentary.

常見錯誤

❌The good news stoked her happiness.
✅The good news increased her happiness.
💡stoke has a negative or neutral connotation in figurative use; it is rarely used with purely positive emotions.
❌The coach stoked the team's energy before the game.
✅The coach fired up the team before the game.
💡stoke is too heavy for informal pep-talk contexts; use fire up or pump up instead.