stoke
stoke
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for stoke is /stoʊk/.
/s/: The voiceless alveolar fricative, the 's' sound in "sun."
/t/: The voiceless alveolar plosive, the 't' sound in "top."
/oʊ/: The diphthong, the 'oa' sound in "boat" or the long 'o' sound in "go."
/k/: The voiceless velar plosive, the 'k' sound in "kite."
Word Form Variations
Singular/Base: stoke
Plural (Noun): stokes
Third-person singular present (Verb): stokes
Past tense (Verb): stoked
Present participle (Verb): stoking
Past participle (Verb): stoked
Adjective: stoked
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb
To add fuel to a fire, furnace, or engine to keep it burning. 🔥
Synonyms: feed, fuel, tend, poke, prod
Antonyms: extinguish, douse, smother, quench
(Figurative) To encourage or incite a strong emotion, idea, or conflict; to make something more intense.
Synonyms: incite, foment, fuel, provoke, arouse, kindle, stir up
Antonyms: quell, suppress, dampen, reduce, discourage
Noun
The act of tending to or feeding a fire.
Synonyms: fueling, tending, prodding
Antonyms: extinguishment, dousing
Adjective
(Informal/Slang) To be very excited, enthusiastic, or exhilarated about something. 🤙
Synonyms: thrilled, excited, pumped, amped, psyched
Antonyms: bummed, disappointed, unenthusiastic, bored
Examples of Use
As a Verb (To Fuel a Fire)
This literal meaning is often found in literature and descriptions involving manual labor or historical settings.
In Jack London's novel The Sea-Wolf, the main character, a refined gentleman forced into labor on a ship, describes his grueling work: "All I know is that I am very tired and very weary, and that I shall sleep soundly to-night, and that I have had a vision of the fires of hell, where the men who stoke the furnaces are the men who have grown bitter and old before their time." (Jack London, The Sea-Wolf)
General public discourse: "Before bed, he went outside to stoke the embers of the campfire one last time, hoping to make it easier to restart in the morning."
As a Verb (To Incite or Intensify)
This figurative sense is extremely common in journalism and political commentary to describe the act of encouraging conflict, fear, or debate.
Online publication: "Social media algorithms can inadvertently stoke outrage by prioritizing inflammatory content that generates high engagement." (WIRED)
Newspaper: "The comments were clearly intended to stoke fears about immigration and create a wedge issue before the election." (The New York Times)
Newspaper: "Rivalries between the two clubs have been stoked by a series of controversial matches and off-field comments from both managers." (The Guardian)
As an Adjective (Excited or Enthusiastic)
This informal, slang usage is prevalent in entertainment, sports (especially surf, skate, and snow culture), and everyday conversation.
Entertainment Medium: In the animated series Stranger Things, the character Argyle frequently uses the term. Upon trying a new pizza creation, he exclaims, "I'm super stoked to get this into my mouth!" (Netflix, Stranger Things, Season 4)
Sports Publication: After winning a major surfing competition, a professional surfer might be quoted saying: "I'm just so stoked right now. The waves were firing all day, and to share the final with my best friend is just incredible." (Surfer Magazine)
Social Media: A musician announcing a new album on X (formerly Twitter) might post: "New album dropping Friday! I am so stoked for you all to finally hear what we've been working on. 🔥"
10 Famous Quotes Using Stoke
We must not stoke fear, but we must not be afraid. (Stacey Abrams)
I sleep like a top, eat like an ogre, smoke like a chimney, and stoke myself with childish vanity. (Robert Louis Stevenson, Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes)
Let me stoke the fires of my magnificent sensibility. (Virginia Woolf, The Waves)
A whisper can stoke a revolution more effectively than a sword.
All I know is that I am very tired and very weary, and that I have had a vision of the fires of hell, where the men who stoke the furnaces are the men who have grown bitter and old before their time. (Jack London, The Sea-Wolf)
To learn is not to fill a vessel, but to stoke a fire that will light your own way.
I can't explain it any other way than to stoke the fire. (The National, "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness")
Do not stoke the embers of a dead ambition; instead, build a new fire entirely.
It is a happiness that has a cost, and it is a happiness that can be taken away from you, and it will stoke your anger and your sorrow. (Jeff VanderMeer, Annihilation)
True affection does not stoke the ego, but warms the soul.
Etymology
The word stoke has a straightforward and fiery origin. 🔥
The word comes from the Middle Dutch word stoken, which meant "to poke" or "to thrust." This is related to the Old English word stoc, which meant "stump, post, or log." You can see the connection: to stoke a fire, you literally poke or thrust logs into it. The word first appeared in English in the mid-17th century, specifically referring to the job of tending a furnace.
Evolution of Meaning
Original Meaning (c. 1650s): The first known use of "stoke" was very specific. It meant "to feed and tend a furnace," like the one on a steam engine or in a blacksmith's shop. A person who did this job was called a "stoker."
Figurative Meaning (c. 1830s): Over time, people started using the word metaphorically. Just as you feed a fire to make it bigger and hotter, you can "stoke" emotions, arguments, or fears to make them more intense.
Slang Meaning (c. 1950s): The modern slang meaning, "to be excited or thrilled," is a more recent development. It likely emerged from surf culture and is a figurative extension of the idea of "fueling" excitement. If something gets you "fired up," it gets you stoked.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Stoke
Phrases Using "Stoke"
To stoke the fire/furnace/embers: The literal act of feeding a fire to keep it burning.
To stoke the flames of (controversy, passion, etc.): To intensify an existing feeling or situation.
To stoke fears: To deliberately make people more afraid.
To stoke tensions: To make a tense situation between groups more hostile.
To stoke the engine of (the economy, innovation, etc.): To fuel or encourage growth and activity.
To be/get stoked: (Slang) To be or become very excited and enthusiastic about something.
To stoke someone's ego: To flatter someone or build up their sense of self-importance.
Idioms with a Similar Meaning
Add fuel to the fire: To make a bad situation even worse.
Fan the flames: To make a conflict or a strong feeling more intense.
Stir the pot: To intentionally cause trouble or provoke an argument.
Pour gasoline on the fire: A more intense version of "add fuel to the fire."
Whip up a frenzy: To incite a state of wild excitement or agitation.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of stoke from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
