- 1[intransitive, transitive] to stop sleeping; to make someone stop sleeping wake (up) What time do you usually wake up in the morning? I always wake early in the summer. Wake up! It's eight o'clock. wake to something (formal) They woke to a clear blue sky. wake from something (formal) She had just woken from a deep sleep. wake to do something He woke up to find himself alone in the house. wake somebody (up) Try not to wake the baby up. I was woken by the sound of someone moving around. Which Word?awake / awaken / wake up / waken
- Wake (up) is the most common of these verbs. It can mean someone has finished sleeping:What time do you usually wake up?or that somebody or something has disturbed your sleep:The children woke me up. I was woken (up) by the telephone.
- The verb awake is usually used only in writing and in the past tense awoke:She awoke to a day of brilliant sunshine.Waken and awaken are much more formal. Awaken is used especially in literature:The Prince awakened Sleeping Beauty with a kiss.
- Awake is also an adjective:I was awake half the night worrying. Is the baby awake yet?Waking is not used in this way.
- 2[transitive] wake something (literary or formal) to make someone remember something or feel something again The incident woke memories of his past sufferings. Idioms
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NAmE//weɪk//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they wake he / she / it wakes
past simple woke
past participle woken
-ing form waking
(usually in orders) used to tell someone to become aware of what is really happening in a situation, especially when this is something unpleasant Phrasal Verbswake upwake up to
Check pronunciation: wake