wake-up

[weyk-uhp]

noun

1. an act or instance of waking up.

2. an act or instance of being awakened.

   I asked the hotel desk for a wake-up at 6.

3. a time of awaking or being awakened.

   I'll need a 5 o'clock wake-up to make the early plane.

4. flicker.

adjective

1. serving to wake one from sleep.

   Tell the front desk you want a wake-up call.

2. serving to arouse or alert.

   a wake-up call on the problems of pollution.

wake-up

noun

1. informal,  an alert or intelligent person

2. informal,  to be fully alert to (a person, thing, action, etc)

Word History and Origins

Origin of wake-up¹

First recorded in 1835–45; noun, adj. use of verb phrase wake up

Example Sentences

Batish and others who monitor private-jet usage point to last year’s killing of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson as a wake-up call.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

“That really was the wake-up call,” said Ferdinando.

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Nonetheless, events in the region ought to be a wake-up call for Mr. Modi and his government.

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Barton said January’s devastating wildfires were a wake-up call.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Joe Freeman, Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, said the attack "should serve as a gruesome wake-up call that civilians in Myanmar need urgent protection".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• agitate 
• amaze 
• anger 
• animate 
• annoy 
• astound 
• bother 
• delight 
• disturb 
• energize 
• irritate 
• offend 
• thrill 
• turn on 
• vex 
• work up 
• worry