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Added 9 October 2026

awake

/əˈweɪk/ adjective

In Latin: vigil Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about awake at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Not asleep; conscious.
We've lain awake a good many nights worrying about her.
Alert, aware.
They were awake to the possibility of a decline in sales.

verb

To become conscious after having slept.
To cause (somebody) to stop sleeping.
To make aware of something.

Origin

From Middle English awake, a shortened form of awaken (“awakened, awake”), past participle of Middle English awaken (“to awaken”). See verb below. Compare Saterland Frisian woak (“awake”), German Low German waak (“awake”), German wach (“awake”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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