woke

[wohk]

verb

1. a simple past tense of wake.

adjective

1. having or marked by an active awareness of systemic injustices and prejudices, especially those involving the treatment of ethnic, racial, or sexual minorities: He took one African American history class and now he thinks he’s woke.

   In light of incidents of police brutality, it’s important to stay woke.

   He took one African American history class and now he thinks he’s woke.

   This generation of kids is trying to make woke choices in life.

2. Disparaging.,  as used by political opponents, of or relating to a liberal progressive orthodoxy.

3. Slang.,  aware of the facts, true situation, etc. (sometimes used facetiously).

   Stay woke—always read a contract before you sign it, and know your rights.

4. awake.

   I had to drink lots of coffee this morning to stay woke.

woke

/ wəʊk /

verb

1. a past tense of wake 1

Other Word Forms

• unwoke adjective
• wokeism noun
• wokism noun
• wokeness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of woke¹

First recorded before 900 as past tense woke ( for def. 1 ); 1960–65 woke ( for defs. 2, 4 ), popularized by the Black civil rights movement and later by Black Lives Matter

Example Sentences

As Dallas woke up, Philadelphia could not add to its lead, and repeatedly turned the ball over.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Last’s public statements on this subject, he writes, are often met with eye rolls: “Oh, so now the crossword puzzle needs to be woke?”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A stunned England woke Sunday to savage criticism after their meek capitulation in the first Ashes Test, branded "brainless" and "damaged" by former greats after their cavalier approach backfired.

Read more on Barron's

Early this year, astronomers woke up to the alert of a mysterious event that occurred 2.8 billion light years away from Earth.

Read more on Space Scoop

Investors woke up in a bullish mood, spurred on by Nvidia’s “beat and raise” quarter last night, and the company’s assurances that AI demand remained “off the charts.”

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• enlightened 
• multiculturally sensitive www.thesaurus.com

When To Use

What else does woke mean?

Woke means being conscious of racial discrimination in society and other forms of oppression and injustice. In mainstream use, woke can also more generally describe someone or something as being "with it."