Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense wakes, present participle waking, past tense woke, past participle wokenlanguage note: The form waked is used in American English for the past tense.
1. verb
When you wake or when someone or something wakes you, you become conscious again after being asleep.
It was cold and dark when I woke at 6.30. [VERB]
Bob woke slowly to sunshine pouring in his window. [VERB + to]
She woke to find her dark room lit by flashing lights. [VERB to-infinitive]
She went upstairs to wake Milton. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: awake, stir, awaken, come to More Synonyms of wake
Wake up means the same as wake.
One morning I woke up and felt something was wrong. [VERBPARTICLE]
At dawn I woke him up and said we were leaving. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
2. countable noun [usually singular, with poss]
The wake of a boat or other object moving in water is the track of waves that it makes behind it asit moves through the water.
The ride was smooth until they got into the merchant ship's wake.
Dolphins sometimes play in the wake of the boats. [+ of]
Synonyms: slipstream, wash, trail, backwash More Synonyms of wake
3. countable noun [usually singular]
A wake is a gathering or social event that is held before or after someone's funeral.
A funeral wake was in progress.
Synonyms: vigil, watch, funeral, deathwatch More Synonyms of wake
4. phrase
If one thing follows in the wake of another, it happens after the other thing is over, often as a result of it.
The governor has enjoyed a huge surge in the polls in the wake of last week's convention.
The company is in bankruptcy proceedings in the wake of a strike that began lastspring.
5.
See waking hours
6.
See in sb's wake
7.
See in sb's wake
Phrasal verbs:
See wake up
See wake up to
More Synonyms of wake
wake in British English1
(weɪk)
verbWord forms: wakes, waking, woke or woken
1. (often foll by up)
to rouse or become roused from sleep
2. (often foll by up)
to rouse or become roused from inactivity
3. (intr; often foll by to or up to)
to become conscious or aware
at last he woke to the situation
4. (intransitive)
to be or remain awake
5. (transitive)
to arouse (feelings etc)
6. dialect
to hold a wake over (a corpse)
7. archaic or dialect
to keep watch over
8. wake up and smell the coffee
noun
9.
a watch or vigil held over the body of a dead person during the night before burial
10.
(in Ireland) festivities held after a funeral
11.
the patronal or dedication festival of English parish churches
12.
a solemn or ceremonial vigil
13. (usually plural)
an annual holiday in any of various towns in northern England, when the local factory or factories close, usually for a week or two weeks
14. rare
the state of being awake
▶ USAGE Where there is an object and the sense is the literal one wake (up) and waken are the commonest forms: I wakened him; I woke him (up). Both verbs are also commonly used without an object: I woke up. Awake and awaken are preferred to other forms of wake where the sense is a figurative one: he awoke to the danger
Derived forms
waker (ˈwaker)
noun
Word origin
Old English wacian; related to Old Frisian wakia, Old High German wahtēn
wake in British English2
(weɪk)
noun
1.
the waves or track left by a vessel or other object moving through water
2.
the track or path left by anything that has passed
wrecked houses in the wake of the hurricane
Word origin
C16: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse vaka, vök hole cut in ice, Swedish vak, Danish vaage; perhaps related to Old Norse vökr, Middle Dutch wak wet
to come out of sleep or a state like or suggestive of sleep, as a stupor or trance; awake
often with up
2.
to be or stay awake
3.
to become active or animated after inactivity or dormancy
often with up
4.
to become alert (to a realization, possibility, etc.)
5. Word forms: waked Chiefly Dialectal
to keep watch or vigil; esp., to hold a wake over a corpse
verb transitive
6.
to cause to wake from or as from sleep
often with up
7.
to arouse, excite, or stir up (passions, etc.) or evoke (a sound, echo, etc.)
8. Word forms: waked Chiefly Dialectal
to keep watch or vigil over; esp., to hold a wake over (a corpse)
noun
9. Rare
the state of being awake
10.
a watch over or viewing of a corpse before burial, formerly often with festivities
11. Anglican Church
an annual parish festival, originally held in honor of a patron saint
Word origin
ME wakien < OE wacian, to be awake & wacan, to arise, akin to Ger wachen < IE base *weĝ-, to be active > L vegere, to arouse, be active, Sans vāja-, strength, speed
wake in American English2
(weɪk)
noun
1.
the track or trail left in the water by a moving ship or boat
2.
the track or course of anything that has gone before or passed by
Idioms:
in the wake of
Word origin
prob. via LowG < ON vök, hole, opening in the ice: for IE base see humor
More idioms containing
wake
wake up and smell the coffee
in something's wake
in the wake of something
Examples of 'wake' in a sentence
wake
How often do you wake up to stained glass windows?
The Sun (2016)
Imagine her shock when she wakes to find her hero looming over her.
The Sun (2017)
You were waking up each morning not knowing what was going to hit you.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
People can wake at night if they go to bed hungry so it could disrupt sleep.
The Sun (2017)
But things have been a lot better in the wake of the crisis than they might have been.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Everyone gets put to sleep, then wakes up when they arrive.
The Sun (2016)
Leave them to sleep quietly and wake slowly, to soothe themselves with softly waving reflections and shadows of trees on the ceiling?
The Sun (2016)
Would I wake up one day and have wrinkles?
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
It's a strange thing, waking up single again after such a long time.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She says: 'I once woke up with them right in my face!
The Sun (2016)
It is not often that you wake up to find yourself infamous.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
She recalled waking up after sleeping amid the fumes.
The Sun (2013)
It has attempted to act swiftly in the wake of the scandal.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
What causes you to wake up before dawn with a new idea spinning in your mind?
Christianity Today (2000)
One night he woke up to find the marital bed deserted.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He said he had woken to find him there as cops arrived.
The Sun (2012)
To step out of the wood back to the boat was like waking from a dream.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It tends to be in the wake of a crisis in a relationship.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Your body needs to wake up slowly and with huge consideration.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Patients are usually woken after two weeks.
The Sun (2014)
It was more reminiscent of a funeral wake.
The Sun (2014)
He arrived to find them holding a wake.
Patrick Bishop FIGHTER BOYS: Saving Britain 1940 (2003)
We need to talk sometimes to wake ourselves up and that is what we have done.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
She woke up one morning and there was one on her bed.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
They leave in their wake a rich scent of aftershave and recently pressed tailoring.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
You can be fast asleep all night and still wake up tense and sore.
Hambly, Dr Kenneth Banish Anxiety - how to stop worrying and take charge of your life (1991)
They are said to have been asleep in a downstairs room before being woken by a fire alarm.
The Sun (2012)
He closed his eyes and against his will his last waking thought was of violet eyes staring into his.
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss THE WOLF AND THE DOVE
He wakes often in the night and before he lost the power of speech he would call out for her constantly.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It seemed to "sleep in the winter and wake again each spring '.
Christy Campbell PHYLLOXERA: How Wine was Saved for the World (2004)
She said: 'I woke up in the morning.
The Sun (2014)
In other languages
wake
British English: wake VERB
When you wake or when someone or something wakes you, you become conscious again after being asleep.
It was cold and dark when I woke at 6.30.
American English: wake
Brazilian Portuguese: acordar
Chinese: 醒来/唤醒
European Spanish: despertar
French: se réveiller
German: erwachen
Italian: svegliare
Japanese: 起こす/起きる
Korean: 잠이 깨다
European Portuguese: acordar
Latin American Spanish: despertar
British English: wake NOUN
The wake of a boat or other object moving in water is the track of waves that it makes behind it as it moves through the water.
The ride was smooth until they got into the merchant ship's wake.
American English: wake
Brazilian Portuguese: esteira
Chinese: 尾波船只或其他物体在水中前行时留下的
European Spanish: estela
French: sillage
German: Kielwasser
Italian: scia
Japanese: 航跡
Korean: 후류
European Portuguese: esteira
Latin American Spanish: estela
All related terms of 'wake'
wake-up
If something such as an activity wakes you up , it makes you more alert and ready to do things after you have been lazy or inactive .
late-wake
a lyke-wake
lyke-wake
a watch held over a dead person, often with festivities
Wake Island
an atoll in the N central Pacific: claimed by the US in 1899; developed as a civil and naval air station in the late 1930s. Area: 8 sq km (3 sq miles)
wake-robin
any of various North American herbaceous plants of the genus Trillium , such as T . grandiflorum, having a whorl of three leaves and three-petalled solitary flowers: family Trilliaceae
American Wake
an all-night farewell party for a person about to emigrate to America
wake up to
If you wake up to something, you become aware of it.
in sb's wake
If you leave something or someone in your wake , you leave them behind you as you go .
wake-up call
A wake-up call is a phone call that you can book through an operator or at a hotel to make sure that you wake up at a particular time.
a wake-up call
an event that shocks people into taking action about a difficult or dangerous situation
in the wake of
following directly or close behind
cuckoopint
a European aroid plant, Arum maculatum, with arrow-shaped leaves, a spathe marked with purple , a pale purple spadix , and scarlet berries
be a wake-up to
to be fully alert to (a person, thing, action , etc)
in something's wake
if an event leaves an unpleasant situation in its wake , that situation happens after that event or is caused by it
in the wake of something
happening after an earlier event, especially an unpleasant one, often as a result of it
wake up and smell the coffee
said when you are telling someone to be more realistic and more aware of what is happening around them
lords-and-ladies
a European aroid plant, Arum maculatum, with arrow-shaped leaves, a spathe marked with purple , a pale purple spadix , and scarlet berries
Chinese translation of 'wake'
wake
(weɪk)
Word forms:ptwokewaked
Word forms:ppwokenwaked
vt
(also wake up) 唤(喚)醒 (huànxǐng)
vi
(also wake up) 醒来(來) (xǐnglái)
n(c)
(for dead person) 守灵(靈) (shǒulíng)
[of boat]尾波 (wěibō)
in the wake of sth紧(緊)随(隨)某事而来(來) (jǐn suí mǒushì ér lái)
to follow in sb's wake紧(緊)随(隨)某人 (jǐn suí mǒurén)
to leave sth in one's wake走后(後)留下某物 (zǒu hòu liúxià mǒuwù)
All related terms of 'wake'
wake up
唤(喚)醒 huànxǐng
in the wake of sth
紧(緊)随(隨)某事而来(來) jǐn suí mǒushì ér lái
to wake up to sth
意识(識)到某事 yìshídào mǒushì
to follow in sb's wake
紧(緊)随(隨)某人 jǐn suí mǒurén
to leave sth in one's wake
走后(後)留下某物 zǒu hòu liúxià mǒuwù
1 (verb)
Definition
to become conscious again or bring (someone) to consciousness again after a sleep
It was still dark when I woke.
Synonyms
awake
I awoke to the sound of the wind in the trees.
stir
awaken
come to
arise
He arose at 6:30 a.m. as usual.
get up
rouse
get out of bed
waken
I dozed off and I only wakened when she came in.
bestir
rouse from sleep
bestir yourself
Opposites
fall asleep
,
go to sleep
,
sleep
,
drop off (informal)
,
doze
,
snooze (informal)
,
hibernate
,
nod off (informal)
,
take a nap
,
catnap
2 (verb)
Definition
to become conscious again or bring (someone) to consciousness again after a sleep
She went upstairs at once to wake the children.
Synonyms
awaken
He was snoring when I awakened him.
arouse
We were aroused from our sleep by a knocking at the door.
rouse
waken
Have a cup of coffee to waken you.
rouse someone from sleep
3 (verb)
Seeing his childhood home cheered him as it woke beautiful memories.
Synonyms
evoke
The programme has evoked a storm of protest.
recall
His speech recalled that famous election pledge of his father.
excite
The proposal failed to excite our interest.
renew
stimulate
I was stimulated to examine my deepest thoughts.
revive
an attempt to revive the economy
induce
arouse
His work has aroused intense interest.
call up
awaken
rouse
give rise to
conjure up
stir up
rekindle
Her interest was rekindled.
summon up
reignite
(noun)
Definition
a watch or vigil held over the body of a dead person during the night before burial
A funeral wake was in progress.
Synonyms
vigil
watch
Keep a close watch on him while I'm gone.
funeral
deathwatch
tangi (New Zealand)
Phrasal verbs
See wake someone up
See wake up to something
Usage note
Both wake and its synonym waken can be used either with or without an object: I woke/wakened my sister, and also I woke/wakened (up) at noon. Wake, wake up, and occasionally waken, can also be used in a figurative sense, for example Seeing him again woke painful memories; and It's time he woke up to his responsibilities. The verbs awake and awaken are more commonly used in the figurative than the literal sense, for example He awoke to the danger he was in.
(noun)
Definition
the track left by a ship moving through water
Dolphins sometimes play in the wake of the boats.
Synonyms
slipstream
wash
The wash from a passing ship overturned their dinghy.
trail
the high vapour trail of an aircraft
backwash
train
a velvet dress, bias cut with a train
track
We set off once more, over a rough mountain track.
waves
path
We followed the path along the clifftops.
idiom
See in the wake of
Additional synonyms
in the sense of arise
Definition
to get or stand up
He arose at 6:30 a.m. as usual.
Synonyms
get up,
wake up,
awaken,
get out of bed
in the sense of arouse
Definition
to awaken from sleep
We were aroused from our sleep by a knocking at the door.