wide awake
B1Informal to neutral. Common in spoken and written English.
Definition
Meaning
completely alert and not at all sleepy; fully conscious.
Fully alert, perceptive, or aware; often used figuratively to describe heightened awareness, vigilance, or insight.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Functions primarily as a predicative adjective. It expresses a state beyond merely 'not sleepy', implying a high degree of alertness. It can be intensified with adverbs like 'fully', 'absolutely', or 'very'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Both varieties use it identically.
Connotations
Equally common and neutral in both dialects.
Frequency
Equally frequent.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] + be/lie/stay + wide awake[Subject] + keep + [Object] + wide awake[Subject] + feel + wide awakeVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (similar connotation of alertness)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"After the strong coffee, the team was wide awake for the crucial investor pitch."
Academic
"The startling research findings left her wide awake, questioning established theories."
Everyday
"The loud noise from the street left me wide awake at 3 a.m."
Technical
Rarely used in technical contexts; more common in general description.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- After that cup of tea, I'm completely wide awake now.
- The baby was wide awake at an unearthly hour.
American English
- The loud thunder left me wide awake all night.
- She's always wide awake for her 8 a.m. class.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I drank coffee and now I am wide awake.
- The cat is wide awake at night.
- After the nightmare, she lay wide awake for hours.
- He needs a cold shower to feel wide awake in the morning.
- Despite the long flight, the news of the successful deal kept him wide awake with excitement.
- The security guard must remain wide awake throughout his shift.
- The cryptic message from the agent left the analyst wide awake, parsing every possible hidden meaning.
- Politically, the electorate is now wide awake to the issues of climate change.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of your eyes being WIDE open because you are AWAKE. It's a simple combination of two common words describing an extreme state.
Conceptual Metaphor
ALERTNESS IS WIDENESS (The mind/attention is 'open' or 'expanded', not narrow or closed off by sleep).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct word-for-word translation like "широко бодрствующий." It's a fixed phrase meaning "совершенно бодрствующий" or "бодрый как стеклышко."
- Do not confuse with the literal meaning of 'wide'. It's an intensifier here.
Common Mistakes
- Using it attributively before a noun (e.g., 'a wide awake child' is borderline; 'the child was wide awake' is standard).
- Confusing it with 'awake' alone, which is a less intense state.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'wide awake' CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Rarely and it often sounds unnatural. It is primarily used after verbs like 'be', 'feel', 'lie', or 'stay' (predicative use).
'Awake' means not asleep. 'Wide awake' is an intensified state, meaning fully alert, conscious, and not at all drowsy.
It is neutral but more common in informal and everyday contexts. In very formal writing, alternatives like 'fully alert' or 'highly vigilant' might be preferred.
Yes, it is common to use it figuratively to mean 'fully aware' or 'alert to something', e.g., 'The scandal left the public wide awake to government corruption.'