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
The idea, to hear Chatten tell it, was to shake their listeners awake with a catastrophic warning. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026 That could mean recognizing the same conflict happening repeatedly with a co-worker, lying awake each night with racing thoughts, or turning to food or cigarettes during periods of stress, according to Resnick. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
Claire awoke the next day to a story about Campanis' comments in the newspaper. — CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 Back in 2018, Tarantino reportedly awoke in the middle of the night to find two burglars inside his home. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 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
  • These ripples are associated with spikes of activity in the prefrontal cortex, and scientists only observe them during periods of sleep or quiet, wakeful rest.
    — Sean Mccabe, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
  • In a previous university blog post, Majumdar compared this finding to the brain flushing out byproducts that build up during active, wakeful moments, allowing for a more restful night’s sleep.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of wakeful
Adjective
  • But homeowners with gardens and trees should be alert as warmer temperatures mean many plants could struggle to retain moisture.
    — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Kindel — who the Penguins said is conscious, alert and in stable condition — was taken to the University of Utah Hospital for further evaluation.
    — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of alert
Verb
  • Our dear old Katie, who used to wake us up every morning with her cheery smile, is now nothing more than a miserable LIB Boomer who comments on Danica Patrick's Instagram posts in the middle of the night.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Drink a glass of water with breakfast or shortly after waking to help your kidneys remove waste and stay hydrated.
    — MD Published, Verywell Health, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of wake
Verb
  • There is still time for the Republican Party to awaken from its slumber and stand up in the history of our nation for freedom-loving peoples across Europe.
    — Bob Kustra, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Sasha awakens to a note that says Morgan has hopped on an earlier flight home.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of awaken
Adjective
  • Lacy said people should always be vigilant when walking in a public space, and urged people to report any suspicious activity by calling 911.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Even the ads that are supposedly okay for kids can be overstimulating and aggressive, so try to be vigilant on those, too.
    — Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of vigilant
Adjective
  • Under the watchful direction of director Brenda Porter, who is also the artistic director for Impact Theater, the cast is fine-tuning the drama.
    — La'Tasha Givens, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Eufy Indoor Security Camera Deal Keep a watchful eye on your pets and living space with the dual-lens Eufy S350 4K Indoor Security Camera.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of watchful

Browse Nearby Words

awaits
awake
awaken
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Awake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awake. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All