awakening
noun
awak·en·ing
ə-ˈwāk-niŋ 
ə-ˈwā-kə-
plural awakenings
1
: a rousing from sleep
The night terror is an abrupt awakening early in the night, most often within the first hour or two of sleep …—
Franklin Galvin et al.
Franklin Galvin et al.2
a
: a rousing from inactivity or indifference
… one of the primary branches of yoga … prescribes various practices to assist the yogi in the gradual awakening of the heart.—James Bailey
James Bailey
b
: a revival of interest in something (such as religion)
Russian Jews themselves experienced a cultural and political awakening after Israel's victory, some openly challenging their government's ban on religious and Hebrew training.—Jonathan D. Sarna
Jonathan D. Sarna3
: a coming into awareness
Like his discovery of literature, this intimacy becomes an awakening to the possibilities of life.—Morris Dickstein
Morris DicksteinExamples of awakening in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The awakening of any maternal feelings towards Lyra are delayed and never free of conflict.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Not long after the accident, Thurlow had a religious awakening.
—Andy Kroll, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
In what turned out to be an integral building block toward the creation of the famed TLC matches, the first-ever tables match caused an awakening.
—Justin Barrasso, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
In a stunning, unsentimental portrait of a young poet’s rural childhood, familial hardship and resilience are juxtaposed against the artistic awakening of a growing mind.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for awakening
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Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Not long after the accident, Thurlow had a religious awakening.
—Andy Kroll, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
In what turned out to be an integral building block toward the creation of the famed TLC matches, the first-ever tables match caused an awakening.
—Justin Barrasso, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
In a stunning, unsentimental portrait of a young poet’s rural childhood, familial hardship and resilience are juxtaposed against the artistic awakening of a growing mind.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for awakening
Cite this Entry
“Awakening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/awakening. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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