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.

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

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

3

: a coming into awareness

Like his discovery of literature, this intimacy becomes an awakening to the possibilities of life.

—Morris Dickstein

Examples of awakening in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet whereas Season 1 examined how a political awakening develops, Season 2 dove further into that transformation’s messy effects. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 14 May 2025

And yet when people need a portal into or proxy for spiritual awakening, Alice Coltrane’s music often becomes integral, a newfound household name, because her staggered textures are gracious enough to accommodate both the ascetic and the philistine. —Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025

Foreman then gave up boxing and after a religious awakening, became an ordained minister in 1978. —Juan A. Lozano, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025

This awakening is slowly driving a shift toward more conscious, mindful fashion choices. —Lauren Parker, Sourcing Journal, 12 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Phrases Containing awakening

• rude awakening

Rhymes for awakening

• reawakening
• wakening