awake

[uh-weyk]

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.

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

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

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

At that point, there’s still another hour to go of extreme close-ups, oppressive sound design and surreal images that would keep David Lynch awake at night.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Another resident told the BBC the noise kept her awake most Saturday nights.

Read more on BBC

I’m often awake at the witching hours, going on late-night death calls, strolling through the silent corridors of nursing homes.

Read more on Salon

“He was awake and talking and sitting up,” VanGerpen said of the swimmer.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"I stayed awake the whole night fearing the door would be pulled off by strong winds," a resident in Nghe An province told Reuters.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• alive 
• attentive 
• aware 
• cognizant 
• vigilant