as in awake
not sleeping or able to sleep
the mother remained wakeful until her child returned home
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in insomnia
the inability to obtain adequate sleep
a nagging wakefulness that seemed resistant to all of the standard home remedies
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wakeful
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
Low to medium doses show a reduction in the alpha frequency of brain waves (which correspond to relaxed and wakeful states), along with rising entropy, a signature finding of sober brains sinking deeper into a trip.
—Oshan Jarow, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
Having the right pillow can make a big difference between a peaceful night’s sleep and a restless, wakeful one.
—Casey Clark, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2024
If bed and only bed will do, change up the environment for sleep vs. wakeful time.
—Lisa Strauss, Washington Post, 28 July 2024
Even in these moments of wakeful rest, your brain continues to rehearse and replay the past.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 21 May 2024
That wakeful process is an essential part of creating a permanent memory.
—Linda Carroll, NBC News, 29 Mar. 2024
The team then applied zap and zip with this threshold value (of 0.31) to a distinct set of patients with severe disorders of consciousness—those either in a minimally conscious state or in an unresponsive wakeful one.
—Christof Koch, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2017
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
Low to medium doses show a reduction in the alpha frequency of brain waves (which correspond to relaxed and wakeful states), along with rising entropy, a signature finding of sober brains sinking deeper into a trip.
—Oshan Jarow, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
Having the right pillow can make a big difference between a peaceful night’s sleep and a restless, wakeful one.
—Casey Clark, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2024
If bed and only bed will do, change up the environment for sleep vs. wakeful time.
—Lisa Strauss, Washington Post, 28 July 2024
Even in these moments of wakeful rest, your brain continues to rehearse and replay the past.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 21 May 2024
That wakeful process is an essential part of creating a permanent memory.
—Linda Carroll, NBC News, 29 Mar. 2024
The team then applied zap and zip with this threshold value (of 0.31) to a distinct set of patients with severe disorders of consciousness—those either in a minimally conscious state or in an unresponsive wakeful one.
—Christof Koch, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wakeful
Adjective
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How a Cup of Lemonade Led to a Meltdown On Reddit, a mom recounted a recent incident that quickly escalated: While attending a party, the mom in question hoped to keep her 19 month old child awake in order to maintain her regular nap and sleep schedule.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
24 June 2025
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Korean-Style Steak Sauce Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 2 oz.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 June 2025
Noun
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Women under chronic stress are more susceptible to burnout, anxiety, depression and even physical health issues, such as insomnia and digestive problems.—
Melanie Schild,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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To better understand the cause of her chronic pain and insomnia, Liz Tenuto majored in psychology.—
Renée Onque,
CNBC,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wakeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wakeful. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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