awaken
Americanverb (used with or without object)
Other Word Forms
- awakenable adjective
- awakener noun
- reawaken verb
- well-awakened adjective
Etymology
Origin of awaken
before 900; Middle English awak ( e ) nen, Old English awæcnian earlier onwæcnian. See a- 1, waken
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But once the hero returns, and Dejanira’s suspicions awaken when she sees the lovely Iole, the character’s music demands more.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
Guardiola tried to awaken the visitors with a double substitution at half-time, introducing Nico O'Riley and Raya Cherki.
From Barron's • Jan. 17, 2026
He would help Unai build a project, awaken the giant.
From BBC • Nov. 1, 2025
“They would awaken sometimes at night to find her standing silently in the doorway, watching them sleep — ‘Oh, you’re awake?’” he writes.
From Salon • Oct. 16, 2025
I whispered her name, trying not to awaken anyone.
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
