wake-up call
B2Neutral to Formal in extended meaning; everyday in core meaning.
Definition
Meaning
A telephone call arranged in advance to wake someone up, typically from a hotel service.
An event or piece of information that alerts someone to an urgent problem, danger, or need for change.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a countable noun. The extended metaphorical sense is more common in contemporary usage than the literal hotel service sense.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The term is equally common in both varieties. Spelling is consistent with hyphens.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties. The metaphorical sense carries a serious, often negative, connotation of a needed warning.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in both BrE and AmE.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[The report] was a wake-up call [to the government]The crisis served as a wake-up call [for the industry]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a rude awakening (similar concept)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The quarterly losses were a wake-up call for the new management team.
Academic
The study's findings should act as a wake-up call regarding climate policy inertia.
Everyday
I asked the hotel for a 6 am wake-up call.
Technical
Not typically used in highly technical registers outside of metaphorical management/strategy contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Not applicable as a verb.
American English
- Not applicable as a verb.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
American English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- Not applicable as an adjective.
American English
- Not applicable as an adjective.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The hotel gives a free wake-up call at 7 o'clock.
- I need a wake-up call tomorrow morning.
- The doctor said his health scare was a real wake-up call.
- Don't forget to request a wake-up call from reception.
- The election results served as a wake-up call for the ruling party.
- The security breach was a stark wake-up call about our IT vulnerabilities.
- The recent diplomatic incident should be construed as a wake-up call, highlighting the fragility of the current détente.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine an alarm clock (the call) that doesn't just wake you from sleep, but wakes your mind to a problem.
Conceptual Metaphor
AWARENESS/REALIZATION IS WAKING UP; A WARNING IS AN ALARM CLOCK.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation as 'звонок пробуждения'. For the core meaning, use 'будильник (в гостинице)'. For the extended meaning, use 'трезвение', 'сигнал к действию', or 'предупреждение'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'It wake-up called me' - incorrect). Using without article ('It was wake-up call').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'wake-up call' used LITERALLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a hyphenated compound noun: 'wake-up call'.
No, it is only a noun. You cannot say 'it wake-up called me'. You can say 'it served as a wake-up call'.
An 'alarm clock' is the physical device. A 'wake-up call' is typically a service (e.g., a phone call from a hotel) or a metaphorical event that alerts you to a problem.
It is neutral. It is appropriate in both everyday speech (literal meaning) and formal writing (metaphorical meaning).