WAKEN Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

waken

verb

ˈwā-kən

Definition of waken

as in to wake

to cause to stop sleeping a sudden loud noise wakened us

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to awake

to cease to be asleep she usually wakens when sunlight begins to stream through the windows

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 waken However, my condo association includes several dozen inland three-story condominium buildings, which means that the chance that our residents will be wakened by their building collapsing around them is near zero. — Bruce Strom, Sun Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2025 More than that, there is obvious attraction — Mags has a bisexual side that suddenly wakens from long slumber. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025 Two easy arm swing stretches to waken your shoulders after hours hunched over computers and phones. — Jonathan Beverly, Outside Online, 19 May 2020 Or later consciousness resurfaces in the morning on my return to the wakening world. — Christof Koch, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2017 The dogs were asleep in their kennels at the time and wakened only when the would-be thief was discovered by the staff. — Anne F. Thurston, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2016

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waken

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

The boy awoke at a family cottage in northern Ontario in 2024 with a bat resting across his nose and mouth.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Newcastle yearned to win, to fulfil the dream awoken by Keegan — who died of cancer last month — and Isak was part of the team that finally did it, a languid forward with a kiss for a touch who scored at Wembley when Liverpool were beaten.

— George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of awake

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

Verb

Every third morning Soumia Bensalah was roused before the break of dawn.

— Mario Ariza, ProPublica, 27 Aug. 2026
These two exceedingly nimble keyboardists teamed for a rousing take on Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski’s intensely spirited Variations on a Theme of Paganini.

— George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of rouse

Browse Nearby Words

wakefulness

waken

wakened

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Waken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waken. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of waken

verb

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