awake

American  

[uh-weyk] / əˈweɪk /

verb (used with or without object)

awoke, awaked, awoke, awaked, awoken, awaking

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 byto ).

   She awoke to the realities of life.

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adjective

1. waking; not sleeping.

2. vigilant; alert.

   They were awake to the danger.

awake British  

/ 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. Also: awaken.  (tr) to arouse (feelings, etc) or cause to remember (memories, etc)

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adjective

1. not sleeping

2. (sometimes foll by to) lively or alert

Other Word Forms

• awakeable adjective
• half-awake adjective
• reawake verb
• unawake adjective
• unawakeable adjective
• unawaked adjective
• unawaking adjective

Etymology

Origin of awake

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

Example Sentences

These days it is the threat of Russian drones that keeps him awake at night.

From BBC

I awoke in the morning with a crick in my neck.

From Literature

A holiday homeowner in a village where homes are being torn down due to coastal erosion said she often awoke at night in fear hers could be next.

From BBC

Now, at night, I lie awake worrying about how we’ll come back.

From Los Angeles Times

Here’s what keeps one top economist awake at night.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• alive
• attentive
• aware
• cognizant
• vigilant