waken

American  

[wey-kuhn] / ˈweɪ kən /

verb (used with object)

1. to rouse from sleep; wake; awake; awaken.

2. to rouse from inactivity; stir up or excite; arouse; awaken.

   to waken the reader's interest.

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verb (used without object)

1. to wake, or become awake; awaken.

waken British  

/ ˈweɪkən /

verb

1. to rouse or be roused from sleep or some other inactive state

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Other Word Forms

• rewaken verb
• unwakened adjective
• wakener noun

Etymology

Origin of waken

before 900; Middle English waknen, Old English wæcnan; cognate with Old Norse vakna; akin to wake ¹; -en ¹

Example Sentences

Longfellow ended his poem on a confident note, declaring that, “borne on the night-wind of the Past, through all our history, to the last,” Americans would “waken and listen” to Revere’s “midnight message.”

From Salon

Enough noise to waken the dead, but not this lot, I thought.

From Salon

The work of the sitcom is to waken them to this fact — as often as it takes.

From Los Angeles Times

In order to secure democratic victories in all three branches of government, we need to waken the silent.

From Salon

Sometimes I waken up again and it's dark out there.

From BBC