SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

awake to

Definition of awake to

: to become aware of (something) We finally awoke to the danger. How long will it take them to awake to their mistake?

Word by Word Definitions

: to cease sleeping : to wake up
: to become aroused or active again
: to become conscious or aware of something

: fully conscious, alert, and aware : not asleep

See the full definition of awake

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up awake to? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

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WORD OF THE DAY

oppugn

play

to fight against or to call in question

Words at Play

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How 'Wonderful' Lost Its Sense of Wonder

A case of semantic bleaching

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Don't Let Reading This Be Another 'Coulda' 'Shoulda' 'Woulda'

PSA: They're three separate words.

Food Words for Strong Flavors

A tasting menu of vivid flavor descriptions

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What's the Plural of 'Maitre d''?

Use this word to confuse a French speaker.

Ask the Editors

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Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

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Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

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Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

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Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?

Which word entered the English language first?

Take the quiz

Name More Food!

Test your knowledge of food vocabulary!

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How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

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SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game