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

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

Its simulated sunrise and peaceful-sounding alarms are designed to gently wake you up. —Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 2 Apr. 2024

That someone is Mia (Georgia Lock), who seems to wake from another such vaguely troubling reverie every 20 minutes or so here. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024

The boy, 15, was discovered missing at his family's home when his mother went to wake him for school, officials reported. —Kirsten Fiscus, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024

But before the call to prayer – or Fajr, which signals the beginning of the day – Gazans wake at two in the morning to the sound of a beating drum and sung poetry. —Marwa Mouaki, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2024

Deal with the police, called after that engine roar wakes a sleeping baby. —Sean Evans, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2024

Noun

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

In the wake of Israel's destructive campaign, international perspectives on the conflict have shifted. —Michele Kelemen, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024

That model has already gone out of production, but a new design, the Arc Sport, will offer similar speed and range, with the ability to offer wake surfing. —J. George Gorant, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2024

Inflation hit a high above 11% at the end of 2022 in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which led to sharp increases in energy costs. —Pan Pylas, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2024

Many staff have refused to show up to work in the wake of the agency’s closure announcement, and complying with the special master’s demands only risks delaying medical care for inmates, according to the filing. —Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024

Boeing's safety culture came under scrutiny during a U.S. Senate hearing on Wednesday, where a Boeing whistleblower was among those who testified about the company's production methods in the wake of the Alaska Airlines door plug blowout. —Gio Benitez, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2024

Ethan sustained burns to 70% of his body, according to his aunt Jessie Wilson, who started a GoFundMe campaign for her sister’s family in wake of the tragedy. —Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 17 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