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

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

From Salon

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

From 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.

From BBC

Those who made it to the end with him had the choice to return to the real world, where they awoke as survivors of a meteorite impact in Shibuya with no recollection of the Borderlands.

From Salon

Since then, I’ve asked it about helping with a nap schedule and used it as a sounding board to complain at 2 a.m. when my baby is wide awake — and I’m not alone.

From Salon

Related Words

• alive 
• attentive 
• aware 
• cognizant 
• vigilant