wake

1 of 3

verb

ˈwāk 

woke ˈwōk  also waked wākt  ; woken ˈwō-kən  or waked also woke; waking

intransitive verb

1

a

: to be or remain awake

b

archaic : to remain awake on watch especially over a corpse

c

obsolete : to stay up late in revelry

2

: awake, wake up

They woke early.

transitive verb

1

: to stand watch over (someone or something)

especially : to hold a wake over

2

a

: to rouse from or as if from sleep : awake, wake up

Something woke her in the middle of the night.

b

: stir, excite

an experience that woke old feelings

c

: to arouse conscious interest in : alert

—usually used with to

woke the public to the risks

waker noun

wake

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

: the state of being awake

2

a(1)

: an annual English parish festival formerly held in commemoration of the church's patron saint

(2)

: vigil sense 3a

b

: the festivities originally connected with the wake of an English parish church

—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

c

British : an annual holiday or vacation

—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

3

: a watch held over the body of a dead person prior to burial and sometimes accompanied by festivity

wake

3 of 3

noun (2)

1

: the track left by a moving body (such as a ship) in a fluid (such as water)

broadly : a track or path left

2

: aftermath sense 3

Phrases

in the wake of

1

: close behind and in the same path of travel

missionaries arrived in the wake of conquistadors and soldiers

—Sabine MacCormack

2

: as a result of : as a consequence of

power vacuums left in the wake of the second world war

—A. M. Schlesinger born 1917

Synonyms

Verb

• arouse
• awake
• awaken
• knock up [British]
• rouse
• waken

Examples of wake in a Sentence

Verb

She can never remember her dreams upon waking.

my banging around in the kitchen woke my wife

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

That is very dangerous heat, considering thousands were without electricity and air conditioning in the storms wake. —Rob Marciano, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2024

People look at their phones every waking minute and have lost their conversational skills. —Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024

Track their poop, pee, sleep, food, burps, wake windows, gas, eye movement, and whatever else on [an app]. —Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 20 Apr. 2024

During sleep, the tongue obstructs the flow of oxygen, repeatedly waking the person repeatedly. —Gina Kolata, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024

Bats across Indiana are waking from hibernation and moving out of their caves in search of food. —Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Apr. 2024

This is the part that will require compromise — for conservatives who believe anything smacking of climate change is woke liberal propaganda, and for liberals who want nothing to do with conservatives spouting that belief. —Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024

Continue reading … ‘NO RIGHTS’ – Fetterman breaks ranks with 'woke' Democrats on pivotal issue plaguing homeowners. —Fox News, 8 Apr. 2024

When Rama’s brother faints in the heat of battle, Hanuman is sent to find a plant that will wake him up. —Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024

Noun

At least one agency, North Miami’s Citizens Investigative Board, opted to shutter in the wake of HB 601. —Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2024

Editors’ Picks The stricter social media regulations came in the wake of youth uprisings that began in 2019 and challenged corruption in the Iraqi government and the influence of Iran. —Alissa J. Rubin, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2024

Exercise and mental health and long been linked by scientists, with many experts advocating for kids to become physically active in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. —Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 29 Apr. 2024

Just Sam left Idol label, Hollywood Records, after signing with them in the wake of their victory. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 29 Apr. 2024

However, some have speculated that the slow return to production in the wake of the writers’ and actors’ labor actions could be due in part to the companies playing it extra safe in anticipation of another potential shutdown. —Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2024

Relatives of missing people submitted their DNA to help identify unknown victims in the wake of the attacks. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2024

The exec, and two other top show business agents, agreed that Participant’s output had slowed too dramatically over the pandemic and in the wake of last year’s Hollywood labor strikes. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024

In the wake of the George Floyd killing and the ensuing riots, NPR followed other institutions in imposing a DEI framework organization-wide. —The Editors, National Review, 18 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

partly from Middle English waken (past wook, past participle waken), from Old English wacan to awake (past wōc, past participle wacen); partly from Middle English wakien, waken (past & past participle waked), from Old English wacian to be awake (past wacode, past participle wacod); akin to Old English wæccan to watch, Latin vegēre to enliven

Noun (2)

akin to Middle Low German wake wake, Norwegian dialect vok, Old Norse vǫk hole in ice

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing wake

• in someone's or something's wake
• in the wake of
• wake and bake
• wake-robin
• wake up
• wake up and smell the coffee/roses
• wake-up call

Kids Definition

wake

1 of 3 verb

ˈwāk 

woke ˈwōk  also waked ˈwākt  ; woken ˈwō-kən  or waked also woke; waking

1

: to be or remain awake

2

: to stand watch over (as a dead body)

especially : to hold a wake over

3

: to arouse from or as if from sleep : awake

—often used with up

waker noun

wake

2 of 3 noun

: a time before a dead person is buried when people gather to remember him or her and often to view the body

wake

3 of 3 noun

1

: a track or path left by a moving body (as a ship) in the water

2

: aftermath sense 2

Etymology

Verb

from Old English wacan "to awake" and Old English wacian "to be awake"

Noun

of Germanic origin