Word of the Day: Awake
A person who is awake is not sleeping, or the person is up and active after sleeping. This word can be used as an adjective or as a verb.
In these examples, the word “awake” is an adjective:
- He’s not awake yet. He’s still sleeping.
- Are you awake?
- It sounds like the children are awake.
- I don’t feel very awake yet.
- She doesn’t look like she’s awake.
- Peter is barely awake. He should go to bed.
- Drinking coffee in the evening might keep me awake at night, so I only drink it in the morning.
- A strong cup of coffee can help you stay awake.
- Todd’s snoring kept everyone awake last night.
When the word “awake” is used as a verb, it’s usually used in the past tense or as a past participle when a person ends a period of sleep; however, “awake” is not always the best choice when choosing a verb for this kind of action. Sometimes “woke up” is a better choice as it means about the same thing.
| simple | past | past participle |
|---|---|---|
|
awake
|
awoke
|
awakened
|
- They awoke early this morning.
- They woke up early this morning. (This sounds better.)
- They have finally awakened.
- They have finally woken up. (This sounds better.)
- What time did you awake?
- What time did you wake up? (This sounds better.)
- We awoke to the smell of someone making breakfast.
- The town awoke to the news that a tornado had ripped through the area and caused major damage.
- It’s nice to awake to a warm, sunny morning.
To awaken is a slightly different form of the verb “awake.” When something or someone is awakened, there is a better awareness or consciousness or the release of some kind of potential.
- The volcano suddenly awakened after centuries of lying dormant.
- Shana awakened to the possibility that she was harming herself by not exercising.
- The community has finally awakened to the need for safer routes for bicyclists who commute to work by bike.
- The girl who works beside Bill has awakened the young man’s desire for romance.
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with A page to see the list of all words starting with letter A. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
