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
Health regulators also accused the ALF of ignoring state law by having no caregivers awake at night. — Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents place little ones on their tummy each day while awake and work up to 30 minutes of tummy time a day by seven weeks old. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
In the morning, travelers will awake among the graceful canals and bridges of Venice, with a private water taxi to ferry them into the heart of the Venetian lagoon to explore the city’s many islands. — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Aug. 2026 Robert Sinners, communications director for Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and his fiancee, CBS News Atlanta reporter Madeline Montgomery, awoke shortly after midnight to the sound of gunfire outside their southwest Atlanta home. — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 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
  • Low to medium doses show a reduction in the alpha frequency of brain waves (which correspond to relaxed and wakeful states), along with rising entropy, a signature finding of sober brains sinking deeper into a trip.
    — Oshan Jarow, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Having the right pillow can make a big difference between a peaceful night’s sleep and a restless, wakeful one.
    — Casey Clark, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2024
Definition of wakeful
Adjective
  • Police are encouraging people to stay alert, especially when returning home.
    — Jermont Terry, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Sources at the club say no players want to leave while other voices say Madrid remain alert to opportunities in the market.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of alert
Verb
  • Join the dearly beloved under the stars for a reception worthy of the afterlife, with spirited DJ sets, drinks to wake the dead, and a free photobooth for your drop-dead gorgeous wedding portrait.
    — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Ensemble sitcoms live and die by their chemistry, so the cast — encouraged by Kronengold and Shaw — spend almost every waking moment together while filming.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of wake
Verb
  • This case has awakened debates about infanticide laws, which provide legal defenses only to mothers who kill their infant.
    — Dr. Susan Hatters Friedman, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The co-creators had already hinted that after season 1, the subsequent installments would take the action back to 1935 and 1908, as the creature awakens from his sleep cycle every 27 years.
    — Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of awaken
Adjective
  • Authorities in Indiana are warning residents to be vigilant after a person reported spotting a several-hundred-pound lioness and a large cub roaming in one central county.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • As arousal rises, the brain becomes temporarily more vigilant and focused.
    — Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of vigilant
Adjective
  • In most cases, Nathan explains, that patient lands in watchful waiting, repeating CT scans every six to 12 months, sometimes for years.
    — Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Spotting a pair of smart glasses can require tech-savvy security staff, and enforcement may depend on users voluntarily disclosing their devices—or on watchful observers speaking up.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026
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 1 Sep. 2026.

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