# awaken

/əˈweɪkən/ (US) · /ɐwˈeɪkən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/awaken
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to wake up

verb · CEFR B1 · Literary

to stop sleeping, or to make someone else stop sleeping.

For teachers: to rouse from sleep or to cease sleeping. Often used in formal or literary contexts where 'wake up' might feel too casual.

- 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.

### 2. to stir a feeling

verb · CEFR B2 · Literary

to start having a feeling or interest that was not there before.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. to become aware

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal · Literary

to suddenly notice or understand a situation.

For teachers: 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: Commonly takes the preposition 'to' when describing the object of awareness.

## Examples

- The loud noise will awaken you from your nap.
- She prefers to awaken naturally rather than rely on a loud alarm clock.
- The sudden realization of his mistake served to awaken him to the harsh realities of the business world.

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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.