waken

American  

[wey-kuhn] / ˈweɪ kən /

verb (used with object)

1. to rouse from sleep; wake; awake; awaken.

2. to rouse from inactivity; stir up or excite; arouse; awaken.

   to waken the reader's interest.

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verb (used without object)

1. to wake, or become awake; awaken.

waken British  

/ ˈweɪkən /

verb

1. to rouse or be roused from sleep or some other inactive state

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Other Word Forms

• rewaken
  verb
• unwakened
  adjective
• wakener
  noun

Etymology

Origin of waken

before 900; Middle English waknen, Old English wæcnan; cognate with Old Norse vakna; akin to wake ¹; see -en ¹

Example Sentences

Waken up the most generous part of yourself.

From Deerbrook by Martineau, Harriet

Waken lords and ladies gay, The mist has left the mountain grey.

From Bibliomania; or Book-Madness A Bibliographical Romance by Dibdin, Thomas Frognall

Waken from the sleep of clay And rise and dance the world away.

From A Cluster of Grapes A Book of Twentieth Century Poetry by Various

Hounds are in their couples yelling, Hawks are whistling, horns are knelling, Merrily, merrily, mingle they— "Waken, lords and ladies gay."

From The Modern Scottish Minstrel, Volume I. The Songs of Scotland of the past half century by Rogers, Charles

Waken him now till they'll see did I tell any lie in my foretelling.

From The Unicorn from the Stars and Other Plays by Gregory, Lady