# awake

/əˈweɪk/ (US) · /ɐwˈeɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/awake
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 2. to stop sleeping

verb · CEFR B1

to wake up, or to make someone else wake up.

For teachers: to cease sleeping or to rouse someone from sleep. While 'wake up' is more common in speech, 'awake' is often preferred in written or slightly more formal contexts.

- He usually awakes at six in the morning without needing an alarm.
- The campers were awoken by the sound of heavy rain drumming against the canvas of their tent.

Usage: The past tense is 'awoke' and the past participle is 'awoken'.

### 3. to stir up a feeling

verb · CEFR B2 · Literary

to start feeling an emotion or to make a memory return.

For teachers: to excite, stir up, or rouse a latent feeling, memory, or state of being.

- The old song started to awake memories of her childhood summers.
- The sight of the abandoned playground awoke a profound sense of nostalgia in the elderly man as he walked through his old neighbourhood.

### 4. aware or alert

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary · Formal

being aware of something, like a danger or a new idea.

For teachers: alert or aware; often used figuratively to describe a state of mental or spiritual readiness.

- The government needs to stay awake to the risks of climate change.
- The philosopher argued that one must remain awake to the subtle injustices present in everyday social interactions.

## Examples

- I usually awake at six in the morning.
- The sound of heavy rain against the window caused her to awake suddenly in the middle of the night.
- The protagonist began to awake to the harsh realities of his situation, realizing that his previous assumptions had been entirely unfounded.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.