awake

[ uh-weyk ]

verb (used with or without object)

, a·woke [uh, -, wohk] or a·waked, a·woke or a·waked or a·wo·ken [uh, -, woh, -k, uh, n], a·wak·ing.

1. to wake up; rouse from sleep:

   I awoke at six with a feeling of dread.

2. to rouse to action; become active:

   His flagging interest awoke.

3. to come or bring to an awareness; become cognizant (often followed by to ):

   She awoke to the realities of life.

adjective

1. waking; not sleeping.
2. vigilant; alert:

   They were awake to the danger.

awake

/ əˈweɪk /

verb

1. to emerge or rouse from sleep; wake
2. to become or cause to become alert
3. usually foll by to to become or make aware (of)

   to awake to reality

4. Alsoawaken tr to arouse (feelings, etc) or cause to remember (memories, etc)

adjective

1. not sleeping
2. sometimes foll by to lively or alert

Usage

See wake 1

Other Words From

• a·wakea·ble adjective
• half-a·wake adjective
• rea·wake verb reawoke or reawaked reawaking
• una·wake adjective
• una·wakea·ble adjective
• una·waked adjective
• una·waking adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of awake¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English awaken, Old English awacen, past participle of awæcnan; a ¹, waken

Word History and Origins

Origin of awake¹

Old English awacian, awacan; see wake ¹

Example Sentences

Soon, the tired group got a third wind, and when she called “action” for the next take, “it looked like a party and people were awake and they were laughing,” she recalls.

From Los Angeles Times

The will to stop hiding had awoken in her, he said, because she hadn’t done anything wrong.

From BBC

The sleep group had a 45-minute nap, while the wake group remained awake, watching a documentary.

From Science Daily

She lay awake frozen in fear all night and in the morning he left.

From BBC

The night before the fire exploded, the eerie howl of the Santa Ana winds kept some awake.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• alive
• attentive
• aware
• cognizant
• vigilant