wake

¹wake

verb \ˈwāk\

woke\ˈwōk\ also waked\wākt\wo·ken\ˈwō-kən\ or waked also wokewak·ing

Definition of WAKE

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 —often used with up

transitive verb

1

: to stand watch over (as a dead body); especially : to hold a wake over

2

a : to rouse from or as if from sleep : awake —often used with up b : stir, excite <woke up latent possibilities — Norman Douglas> c : to arouse conscious interest in : alert —usually used with to <woke the public to the risks>

— wak·er noun

Examples of WAKE

1. She can never remember her dreams upon waking.
2. <my banging around in the kitchen woke my wife>

Origin of WAKE

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to WAKE

Synonyms: arouse, awake, awaken, knock up [British], rouse, waken

Antonyms: lull

Related Words: roust, rout; raise, revive; reawaken, rewake; agitate, bestir, disturb, excite, provoke, stimulate, stir

Near Antonyms: hypnotize, mesmerize

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with WAKE

ache, bake, brake, break, cake, crake, drake, Drake, fake, flake, hake, jake, lake, make, quake, rake, sake, shake, slake, snake, stake, steak, strake, take