English Reference

Phrasal verb

wake up

Definitions

01to stop sleeping

A1 · Beginner

phr.v. to stop sleeping and open your eyes.

phr.v. to cease sleeping and return to a state of consciousness. The verb is intransitive in this sense.

“I usually wake up at six o'clock, but I stay in bed for ten minutes.”

“He tended to wake up several times during the night, often struggling to return to a deep sleep before his alarm rang at dawn.”

Pitfall

I wake up at 7:00 every morning.

I woke up at 7:00 this morning.

Use the past tense 'woke up' when talking about a specific time in the past, like this morning.

Synonyms

awakestir

Antonyms

fall asleep

02to rouse someone else

A1 · Beginner

phr.v. to make someone else stop sleeping.

phr.v. to rouse someone from sleep. This use is transitive and the object can be placed between 'wake' and 'up'.

“Please be quiet so you don't wake the baby up.”

“The sunlight streaming through the gap in the curtains eventually woke him up, despite his intention to sleep until noon.”

Synonyms

awakenrousecall

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'get up' (to leave bed); a person can wake up but decide to stay in bed for a while before they get up.

Etymology

From wake + up.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Phrasal verb

Particles

up

Separability

optional

Pattern

wake + up (+ object)

Synonyms

awakenrouse

Antonyms

fall asleepgo to sleepnod off

Related words

awakeWake

Grammar

Phrasal verbs (introduction)

This entry

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.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL 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: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
Frequency
Common
Level
A1 · BeginnerOxford
Updated

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