wake
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to become roused from sleep; awake; awaken; waken (often followed byup ).
- Antonyms:
- sleep
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to become roused from a tranquil or inactive state; awaken; waken.
to wake from one's daydreams.
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to become cognizant or aware of something; awaken; waken.
to wake to the true situation.
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to be or continue to be awake.
Whether I wake or sleep, I think of you.
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to remain awake for some purpose, duty, etc..
I will wake until you return.
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to hold a wake over a corpse.
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to keep watch or vigil.
verb (used with object)
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to rouse from sleep; awake; awaken; waken (often followed byup ).
Don't wake me for breakfast. Wake me up at six o'clock.
- Synonyms:
- arouse
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to rouse from lethargy, apathy, ignorance, etc. (often followed byup ).
The tragedy woke us up to the need for safety precautions.
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to hold a wake for or over (a dead person).
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to keep watch or vigil over.
noun
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a watching, or a watch kept, especially for some solemn or ceremonial purpose.
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a watch or vigil by the body of a dead person before burial, sometimes accompanied by feasting or merrymaking.
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a local annual festival in England, formerly held in honor of the patron saint or on the anniversary of the dedication of a church but now usually having little or no religious significance.
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the state of being awake.
between sleep and wake.
noun
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the track of waves left by a ship or other object moving through the water.
The wake of the boat glowed in the darkness.
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the path or course of anything that has passed or preceded.
The tornado left ruin in its wake.
idioms
verb
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(often foll by up) to rouse or become roused from sleep
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(often foll by up) to rouse or become roused from inactivity
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(intr; often foll by to or up to) to become conscious or aware
at last he woke to the situation
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(intr) to be or remain awake
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(tr) to arouse (feelings etc)
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dialect to hold a wake over (a corpse)
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archaic to keep watch over
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informal to face up to reality, especially in an unpleasant situation
noun
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a watch or vigil held over the body of a dead person during the night before burial
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(in Ireland) festivities held after a funeral
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the patronal or dedication festival of English parish churches
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a solemn or ceremonial vigil
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(usually plural) an annual holiday in any of various towns in northern England, when the local factory or factories close, usually for a week or two weeks
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rare the state of being awake
noun
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the waves or track left by a vessel or other object moving through water
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the track or path left by anything that has passed
wrecked houses in the wake of the hurricane
Usage
Where there is an object and the sense is the literal one wake ( up ) and waken are the commonest forms: I wakened him; I woke him ( up ). Both verbs are also commonly used without an object: I woke up . Awake and awaken are preferred to other forms of wake where the sense is a figurative one: he awoke to the danger
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have wakedperfect
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has wakedperfect 3rd person singular
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have wokenperfect
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has wokenperfect 3rd person singular
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is wakingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been wakingperfect progressive
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are wakingprogressive
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has been wakingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am wakingprogressive 1st person singular
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wakingparticiple
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wakessingular 3rd person
Past
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had wakedperfect
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had wokenperfect
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had been wakingperfect progressive
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was wakingprogressive singular
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wokesimple
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were wakingprogressive plural
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wakedparticiple
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wakedsimple
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wokenparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of wake1
First recorded before 900; (verb) in sense “to become awake” continuing Middle English waken, Old English wacan ; in sense “to be awake” continuing Middle English waken, Old English wacian (cognate with Old Frisian wakia, Old Saxon wakōn, Old Norse vaka, Gothic wakan ); in sense “to rouse from sleep” continuing Middle English waken, replacing Middle English wecchen, Old English weccan; (noun) Middle English: “state of wakefulness, vigil,” probably continuing unattested Old English wacu (found in nihtwacu “night-watch”); all ultimately from unattested Germanic wak- “be lively”; akin to watch, vegetate; cf. waken
Origin of wake2
First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle Low German, Dutch wake, or Old Norse vǫk, vaka “opening or hole in the ice”
Explanation
In the wake, or aftermath, of a death, it's traditional in many cultures to hold a wake, a vigil for the dead. There's a third meaning of wake, too, you know: it's the waves that a boat leaves behind as it slices through the water. And that's not all... Wake has three meanings as a noun, and, yes, just about as many meanings as a verb! So get set. To wake is come out of sleep, a verb you'll recognize from "Wake up! You're asleep at the wheel!" You can wake feelings, as well as the people who are having them. The wake before the funeral caused Mike to wake from his depression and decide to live life to the fullest. His first act was to water ski; he eventually mastered staying upright while crossing the wake of the boat that was towing him.
Vocabulary lists containing wake
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act II
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the wake of the Manhattan Project that birthed the atomic era — and with it, the ever-present threat of nuclear war — people acted immediately to bring attention to this new threat.
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026
After the opening round of matches, Scotland sit top of Group C, Brazil and Morocco trailing in their wake.
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026
He used to wake at 6 a.m. daily to attend to the car wash, a disciplined businessman, she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2026
What’s particularly telling is how quickly the sentiment changed in the wake of those two elections.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 12, 2026
Kessler hitched up his pants, flung his sack over his shoulder, and ran, mice trailing in his wake.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
