waken
verb /ˈweɪkən/
/ˈweɪkən/
(formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they waken | /ˈweɪkən/ /ˈweɪkən/ |
| he / she / it wakens | /ˈweɪkənz/ /ˈweɪkənz/ |
| past simple wakened | /ˈweɪkənd/ /ˈweɪkənd/ |
| past participle wakened | /ˈweɪkənd/ /ˈweɪkənd/ |
| -ing form wakening | /ˈweɪkənɪŋ/ /ˈweɪkənɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to wake, or make somebody wake, from sleep
- waken (up) The child had just wakened.
- waken somebody (up) I was wakened by a knock at the door.
Which Word? awake / awaken / wake up / wakenawake / awaken / wake up / waken- Wake (up) is the most common of these verbs. It can mean somebody has finished sleeping: What time do you usually wake up? or that somebody or something has disturbed your sleep: The children woke me up.I was woken (up) by the telephone.
- The verb awake is usually only used in writing and in the past tense awoke: She awoke to a day of brilliant sunshine. Waken and awaken are much more formal. Awaken is used especially in literature: The Prince awakened Sleeping Beauty with a kiss.
- Awake is also an adjective: I was awake half the night worrying.Is the baby awake yet? Waking is not used in this way.
- [transitive] waken something to make somebody remember something or feel something again
- The dream wakened a forgotten memory.
Word OriginOld English wæcnan ‘be aroused’, of Germanic origin; related to the verb wake.