awaken
[uh-wey-kuh n]
- to awake; waken.
Show More
Origin of awaken
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for reawaken
Contemporary Examples
When Mercury hits Virgo, on Friday, it will reawaken dormant conflicts with loved ones.
You just might reawaken their dreams or even one of your own, and one day when you least expect it, you will dream big again.
Historical Examples
The only thing that keeps me sane is the hope that we may reawaken them.
The End of TimeWallace West
In vain did Gustave try to reawaken the ardor of his partisans.
Her father had vanished and there was even yet nothing in that to reawaken the pang of loss.
What Maisie KnewHenry James
The world, her own social world, seemed all at once to reawaken before her.
Petticoat RuleEmmuska Orczy, Baroness Orczy
Then came new experiences to reawaken the slumbering vision.
Romain RollandStefan Zweig
reawaken
- to emerge or rouse from sleep
- to become or make aware of (something) again
Show More
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for reawaken
awaken
v.
Old English awæcnan (intransitive), "to spring into being, arise, originate," also, less often, "to wake up;" earlier onwæcnan, from a- (1) "on" + wæcnan (see waken). Transitive meaning "to rouse from sleep" is recorded from 1510s; figurative sense of "to stir up, rouse to activity" is from c.1600.
Originally strong declension (past tense awoc, past participle awacen), already in Old English it was confused with awake (v.) and a weak past tense awæcnede (modern awakened) emerged and has since become the accepted form, with awoke and awoken transferred to awake. Subtle shades of distinction determine the use of awake or awaken in modern English. Related: Awakening.
Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper