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

“It just woke up investors to think there are alternatives here,” said Daniel Casali, chief investment strategist at U.K.-based Evelyn Partners.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Cracker Barrel had come under fire in 2022 from some customers and critics online who accused the chain of abandoning its southern roots and becoming “woke” after it added plant-based Impossible Sausage.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Alex at first appears as a figure of “woke” culture there to defy the older generation Roberts’ Alma comes to stand for.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The next night, I woke up on Genesis’ couch.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"I woke up thinking about you..." she told him over a plate of croissants.

Read more on BBC

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."