awake 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of awakenext
1
as in wakeful
not sleeping or able to sleep was awake until 3:00 a.m.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in alert
paying close attention usually for the purpose of anticipating approaching danger or opportunity awake to the possibility of trouble at the demonstration

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

awake

2 of 2

verb

ə-ˈwāk How to pronounce awake (audio)
1
as in to wake
to cause to stop sleeping awoke the boys for breakfast

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to awaken
to cease to be asleep at the sound of breaking glass she awoke with a start

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective awake contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of awake are alive, aware, cognizant, conscious, and sensible. While all these words mean "having knowledge of something," awake implies that one has become alive to something and is on the alert.

a country always awake to the threat of invasion

How do alive and sensible relate to one another, in the sense of awake?

Alive adds to sensible the implication of acute sensitivity to something.

alive to the thrill of danger

When is aware a more appropriate choice than awake?

The synonyms aware and awake are sometimes interchangeable, but aware implies vigilance in observing or alertness in drawing inferences from what one experiences.

aware of changes in climate

In what contexts can cognizant take the place of awake?

In some situations, the words cognizant and awake are roughly equivalent. However, cognizant implies having special or certain knowledge as from firsthand sources.

not fully cognizant of the facts

When would conscious be a good substitute for awake?

Although the words conscious and awake have much in common, conscious implies that one is focusing one's attention on something or is even preoccupied by it.

conscious that my heart was pounding

When is it sensible to use sensible instead of awake?

While the synonyms sensible and awake are close in meaning, sensible implies direct or intuitive perceiving especially of intangibles or of emotional states or qualities.

sensible of a teacher's influence

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of awake
Adjective
And many people in Kendall County were already awake and aware of the dangerous flooding when they were alerted of the threat to their area. —Josh Feldman, NBC news, 8 July 2025 Participants who fell into a light N1 sleep had a 61 percent success rate; that dropped to just 55 percent in a group that stayed awake during their 20-minute nap time. —ArsTechnica, 6 July 2025
Verb
The girls’ parents, R.J. and Annie, were staying five houses down from them and awoke at 3:30 a.m. to go check on the girls during the storm but found their house had already started to flood. —Stephen Sorace , Brooke Taylor , Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 7 July 2025 Katheryn Eads Fifty-two year-old Katheryn Eads was awoken by elevating floodwaters, prompting her and her husband, Brian Eads, to leave their RV, Brian told the Times. —Solcyré Burga, Time, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for awake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awake
  1. wakeful
  2. alert
  3. wake
  4. awaken
  5. vigilant
  6. watchful
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
Definition of wakeful
Adjective
  • The alert impacts regions ranging from the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula to the southernmost counties, including major cities such as Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Traverse City.
    — Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
  • Be alert to warning signs: Educate yourself about the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 13 July 2025
Definition of alert
Verb
  • Pressing that button wakes the telescope up, prompting one side of its pill-like body to rotate upwards to reveal a technological eye designed to capture the planets, stars and deep-sky objects that populate the universe.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 18 July 2025
  • There has, in recent years, been pushback against woke sermonizing in comedy, where receiving applause for expressing the right political sentiments took precedence over making people laugh, though the trend hasn’t completely died.
    — W. James Antle III, The Washington Examiner, 18 July 2025
Definition of wake
Verb
  • Then, on June 12, she was awakened in the middle of the night and told to gather her things.
    — Juwayriah Wright, Time, 15 July 2025
  • For 10-year-old Lucy Kennedy, the sense of security that enveloped the camp was punctured when she was awakened by loud crashes of thunder.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 13 July 2025
Definition of awaken
Adjective
  • This same accident-prone influence might apply to your pet, so be vigilant.
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 13 July 2025
  • Maine State Police are warning the community to stay vigilant but have not divulged the cause of death or any details about the crime scene, leaving Stewart’s family with questions and nearby residents with fears that a killer may be among them.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 12 July 2025
Definition of vigilant
Adjective
  • Techniques passed down through generations, refined through repetition and perfected under the watchful eye of a woman who demanded excellence.
    — Sughnen Yongo, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • In it, rooms filled with monitors show simulated airplanes taxiing on runways and taking off – all under the watchful eyes of students learning to keep the flying public safe.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
Definition of watchful

Browse Nearby Words

awaits
awake
awaken
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Cite this Entry

“Awake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awake. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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