awake
B1Neutral to Formal (more formal than 'wake up' as a verb in imperative/instructional contexts). The adjective is common in all registers.
Definition
Meaning
To stop sleeping; to become conscious after sleep, or to cause someone else to do so.
To become aware of or alert to something (often a situation, danger, or reality); in the adjectival sense, describing a state of not being asleep, or more figuratively, a state of heightened awareness or vigilance.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a verb, it is often used in literary or formal contexts ('I awoke at dawn'). In everyday speech, 'wake up' is more frequent for the imperative ('Wake up!') and past actions ('I woke up'). The past tense and past participle are irregular: 'awoke', 'awoken'. The adjective 'awake' describes a state, not an action, and cannot be used before a noun ('the awake child' is incorrect; use 'the child is awake').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the word similarly. 'Awake' as a verb might be perceived as slightly more literary in both, but the adjective is equally common. No major syntactic differences.
Connotations
In both, the verb can carry a metaphorical connotation of becoming aware. The adjective is neutral.
Frequency
Slightly higher relative frequency of the verb form in British English in written corpora, but the difference is minor.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] awake (intransitive)[NP] awake [NP] (transitive)[NP] awake to [NP] (figurative)[NP] be awake (adjective)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “wide awake”
- “awake to the dangers/fact/possibility (of)”
- “lie awake (thinking/worrying)”
- “the nation awoke to...”
- “stay awake at the wheel”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The market finally awoke to the potential of sustainable tech." (figurative)
Academic
"The study aims to determine the neural correlates of being fully awake."
Everyday
"Are you awake yet? The coffee's ready."
Technical
"The device monitors periods when the patient is awake versus asleep." (medical/sleep science)
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She awoke to the smell of burning toast.
- The noise awoke the entire neighbourhood.
- He awoke from a deep sleep feeling disoriented.
American English
- I awoke with a terrible headache.
- The scandal awoke public interest in campaign finance.
- They awoke to find their car had been towed.
adverb
British English
- (Rare/Archaic) 'Lie awake', 'stay awake' use 'awake' as adjective complement, not a true adverb.)
American English
- (Rare/Archaic) Similar to British usage; not used as a manner adverb.)
adjective
British English
- Is the baby still awake? It's past midnight.
- I was wide awake after drinking that strong coffee.
- Please be quiet; not everyone is awake yet.
American English
- I've been awake since 5 a.m. worrying about the presentation.
- Stay awake during the safety briefing, it's important.
- She's not a morning person; it takes her an hour to be fully awake.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I awake at seven o'clock.
- The cat is awake now.
- Are you awake? Breakfast is ready.
- He awoke suddenly when the alarm went off.
- It's hard to stay awake during long meetings.
- She was awake for most of the night with a cough.
- The company must awake to the challenges posed by new competitors.
- I lay awake pondering the decision I had to make.
- The documentary aims to awake public consciousness about plastic waste.
- A sense of dread awoke within him as he approached the empty house.
- The nation was brutally awoken to the threat by the sudden attack.
- Politically awake citizens are essential for a functioning democracy.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'A' (not) + 'WAKE' (from sleep). You are 'A-WAKE' when you are NOT in a waking state? Wait, reverse it: You ARE 'A-WAKE' when you ARE in a waking state. Link 'awake' to 'a wave' of consciousness hitting you.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONSCIOUS IS UP/AWAKE; UNCONSCIOUS IS DOWN/ASLEEP. AWARENESS IS LIGHT (e.g., 'awoke to the truth').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'awake' (adjective) as 'бодрствующий' in simple contexts; 'не спящий' or 'проснувшийся' is more natural. Don't use 'awake' before a noun like Russian allows (*an awake student).
- The verb 'awake' (awoke/awoken) is less common than 'wake up' (woke/woken). Using 'awake' as a verb in everyday speech can sound stilted.
- Confusing 'awake' with 'awaken' or 'wake up'. They are synonyms but have different typical structures.
Common Mistakes
- *I awake at 7 am every day. (Correct but literary; 'wake up' is more natural).
- *The awake baby is crying. (Incorrect adjective position; use 'The baby who is awake...' or 'The awake baby...' is not standard).
- *I was awoke by the noise. (Incorrect past participle; use 'awoken' or 'woken').
- *She awake me. (Missing inflection; 'awoke' or 'wakes').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses 'awake' INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be both. As a verb, it means to stop sleeping (e.g., 'I awoke'). As an adjective, it describes the state of not sleeping (e.g., 'I am awake').
'Wake up' is the most common and neutral phrasal verb. 'Awake' as a verb is more literary/formal. 'Awaken' is also literary and is often used figuratively ('awaken emotions'). The past forms differ: wake/woke/woken; awake/awoke/awoken; awaken/awakened/awakened.
No. The adjective 'awake' is a predicative adjective, meaning it comes after a verb like 'be', 'stay', 'keep'. You cannot place it directly before a noun. Say 'a person who is awake' or 'someone awake'.
It's an idiom meaning fully awake and alert, not at all sleepy. It emphasizes the completeness of the waking state.