elicit

Compared meaning: to cause a reaction or feeling (verb).

比较义项：引起（某种反应、感觉或回应）（动词）。

• provoke

  Provoke implies deliberately causing a strong, often negative reaction such as anger or an argument, and can suggest the action was annoying or intentional.

  provoke 强调故意引起强烈的、往往是负面的反应，比如愤怒或争吵，暗示这种行为带有挑衅或故意惹恼的意味。

  His rude comments during the meeting only provoked more arguments among the team.

  他在会议上无礼的言论只是在团队中引发了更多争吵。

• elicit 本词

  Elicit is neutral and rather formal, used for drawing out an answer, response or information from someone, usually through questions or effort.

  elicit 语气中性、较为正式，指通过提问或努力从某人那里引出答案、回应或信息。

  The teacher asked careful questions to elicit ideas from her quiet students.

  老师精心提问，以便从沉默的学生那里引出一些想法。

• arouse

  Arouse is used for causing a feeling such as curiosity, suspicion or interest to start, often involuntarily rather than through deliberate action or questioning.

  arouse 用于引起好奇心、怀疑或兴趣等情绪的产生，往往是不由自主的，而不是通过故意的行为或提问引起的。

  The strange noise outside began to arouse her curiosity late at night.

  外面奇怪的声音在深夜开始唤起她的好奇心。

Provoke, elicit, and arouse all mean to cause a reaction, but differ. Provoke causes a strong, negative reaction. Elicit is neutral and formal, drawing out an answer. Arouse causes a feeling like curiosity to start. Arouse's sexual sense and provoke's 'war' sense are not compared.

这三个词都表示引起某种反应或感觉，但语气和用法不同：provoke 通常带有负面色彩，指故意惹怒或激起争论；elicit 语气中性、正式，指通过提问或努力从某人那里引出回应或信息；arouse 多用于唤起好奇心、怀疑等情绪，往往是不由自主产生的。这里不比较 arouse 表示唤起性欲的义项，也不比较 provoke 表示引发（战争、危机等事件）的义项。