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

So in spite of rising authoritarianism around the world, here’s what gives me hope: More people are awake than ever before.

From Salon

A statement from Eric Greener's daughter Alison said: "The thought of him trying to put the fire out when he could hardly walk keeps me awake at night."

From BBC

She’d lain awake for an hour the night before, thinking of all the things she was going to say when she met him.

From Literature

Californians looking to resume their weekly commute Tuesday awoke to see several major roads closed after heavy rains drenched much the state Monday — with the expected precipitation far from over.

From Los Angeles Times

Colombo awoke to its greyest sky of the week come Sunday morning.

From BBC

Related Words

• alive
• attentive
• aware
• cognizant
• vigilant