Word
awaken
Phoneticsawak·en
US/əˈweɪkən/
UK/ɐwˈeɪkən/
Definitions
01to wake up
B1 · Intermediate Literary
v. to stop sleeping, or to make someone else stop sleeping.
v. to rouse from sleep or to cease sleeping. Often used in formal or literary contexts where 'wake up' might feel too casual.
Español:despertarse
“The sound of birds singing outside the window helped her awaken at dawn.”
“The prince was said to awaken only when the first rays of the summer solstice touched the castle walls.”
02to stir a feeling
B2 · Upper Intermediate Literary
v. to start having a feeling or interest that was not there before.
v. to stimulate or bring a dormant emotion, interest, or memory into action.
“The old photographs helped awaken memories of his childhood in the village.”
“The professor's lecture on ancient philosophy served to awaken a latent interest in ethics among the undergraduate students.”
03to become aware
C1 · Advanced Formal · Literary
v. to suddenly notice or understand a situation.
v. to become conscious or aware of a fact, situation, or truth. Often used with the preposition 'to'.
“The city is finally beginning to awaken to the dangers of air pollution.”
“It took a significant financial crisis for the board of directors to awaken to the systemic flaws in their investment strategy.”
Usage
The verb is transitive when an agent causes the waking; intransitive when the subject wakes on their own.
Etymology
From Middle English awakenen or awaknen, from Old English awæcnan or awæcnian, from a- plus wæcnan or wæcnian.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/awaken
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0