awake 1 of 2

awake

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective awake contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of awake are alive, aware, cognizant, conscious, and sensible. While all these words mean "having knowledge of something," awake implies that one has become alive to something and is on the alert.

a country always awake to the threat of invasion

How do alive and sensible relate to one another, in the sense of awake?

Alive adds to sensible the implication of acute sensitivity to something.

alive to the thrill of danger

When is aware a more appropriate choice than awake?

The synonyms aware and awake are sometimes interchangeable, but aware implies vigilance in observing or alertness in drawing inferences from what one experiences.

aware of changes in climate

In what contexts can cognizant take the place of awake?

In some situations, the words cognizant and awake are roughly equivalent. However, cognizant implies having special or certain knowledge as from firsthand sources.

not fully cognizant of the facts

When would conscious be a good substitute for awake?

Although the words conscious and awake have much in common, conscious implies that one is focusing one's attention on something or is even preoccupied by it.

conscious that my heart was pounding

When is it sensible to use sensible instead of awake?

While the synonyms sensible and awake are close in meaning, sensible implies direct or intuitive perceiving especially of intangibles or of emotional states or qualities.

sensible of a teacher's influence

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of awake
Adjective
In the early hours of June 24, 2025, she was jolted awake by a strange banging sound downstairs. Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025 But staring at your phone floods your eyes with blue light, keeping you awake even longer. Dani Blum, New York Times, 1 July 2025
Verb
Storm moves south on approach At first light Thursday, Acapulco awoke under ominous dark clouds. Luis Alberto Cruz, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025 About 2,000 shelters were opened across Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca, and over 18,000 first responders were mobilized At first light Thursday, Acapulco awoke under ominous dark clouds, but without a drop of rain and small waves lapping at its central beach. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for awake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awake
Adjective
  • Tips to Break the Bedtime Screen Habit Dr. Verma, who was not involved in the research, offers the following tips to prevent wakeful effects from smartphones and get better sleep: Avoid screens 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.
    Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Lauren Goode: Who among us doesn't want to have a nap gently guided by our wakeful rhythm?
    Lauren Goode, WIRED, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • This can overwhelm analysts and lead to alert fatigue.
    Bhupendra Singh, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • The National Weather Service on Sunday posted an alert warning of elevated levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the atmosphere because of wildfire smoke.
    Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • The motor runs at just 43 decibels, so it can be used while the baby is sleeping without waking them.
    Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 8 July 2025
  • Fox News and similar corners of the internet were ablaze with myopic insistences that any inclusion of, or even nod to, this rather essential, commonplace, and well-known part of the Superman backstory made the new movie, somehow, another piece of woke Hollywood nonsense.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • The defense, with its framing, wanted to awaken any latent unease that a juror—an older one, perhaps—might feel toward the preceding years of correction between the sexes.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 3 July 2025
  • What Santana has awakened from the Earth, alongside the continued popular appeal of his art, has stirred other echoes familiar to his incredible career.
    Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Adjective
  • Stay informed, stay vigilant, and prioritize safety when enjoying the surf.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2025
  • Authorities were urging residents in the vicinity to stay vigilant and exercise caution as the situation develops.
    Stepheny Price , Bradford Betz , Landon Mion , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 29 June 2025
Adjective
  • Monitor weather conditions via radar or lightning app. Keep a watchful eye on the sky.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 26 June 2025
  • Also entering the Villa for compatibility challenges and matchups under the watchful eye of Perfect Match host Nick Lachey is Clayton Echard (The Bachelor), Rachel Recchia (The Bachelorette), Cody Wright (Temptation Island), Daniel Perfetto (Dated & Related) and The Mole alum Hannah Burns.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Awake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awake. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

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