wake
1to become roused from sleep; awake; awaken; waken (often followed by up).
to become roused from a tranquil or inactive state; awaken; waken: to wake from one's daydreams.
to become cognizant or aware of something; awaken; waken: to wake to the true situation.
to be or continue to be awake: Whether I wake or sleep, I think of you.
to remain awake for some purpose, duty, etc.:I will wake until you return.
to hold a wake over a corpse.
to keep watch or vigil.
to rouse from sleep; awake; awaken; waken (often followed by up): Don't wake me for breakfast. Wake me up at six o'clock.
to rouse from lethargy, apathy, ignorance, etc. (often followed by up): The tragedy woke us up to the need for safety precautions.
to hold a wake for or over (a dead person).
to keep watch or vigil over.
a watching, or a watch kept, especially for some solemn or ceremonial purpose.
a watch or vigil by the body of a dead person before burial, sometimes accompanied by feasting or merrymaking.
a local annual festival in England, formerly held in honor of the patron saint or on the anniversary of the dedication of a church but now usually having little or no religious significance.
the state of being awake: between sleep and wake.
Origin of wake
1Other words for wake
Opposites for wake
Other words from wake
- waker, noun
- half-waking, adjective
- un·waked, adjective
- un·wak·ing, adjective
Other definitions for wake (2 of 2)
the track of waves left by a ship or other object moving through the water: The wake of the boat glowed in the darkness.
the path or course of anything that has passed or preceded: The tornado left ruin in its wake.
Origin of wake
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for wake (1 of 2)
/ (weɪk) /
(often foll by up) to rouse or become roused from sleep
(often foll by up) to rouse or become roused from inactivity
(intr; often foll by to or up to) to become conscious or aware: at last he woke to the situation
(intr) to be or remain awake
(tr) to arouse (feelings etc)
dialect to hold a wake over (a corpse)
archaic, or dialect to keep watch over
wake up and smell the coffee informal to face up to reality, especially in an unpleasant situation
a watch or vigil held over the body of a dead person during the night before burial
(in Ireland) festivities held after a funeral
the patronal or dedication festival of English parish churches
a solemn or ceremonial vigil
(usually plural) an annual holiday in any of various towns in northern England, when the local factory or factories close, usually for a week or two weeks
rare the state of being awake
Origin of wake
1usage For wake
Derived forms of wake
- waker, noun
British Dictionary definitions for wake (2 of 2)
/ (weɪk) /
the waves or track left by a vessel or other object moving through water
the track or path left by anything that has passed: wrecked houses in the wake of the hurricane
Origin of wake
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for wake
A funeral celebration, common in Ireland, at which the participants stay awake all night keeping watch over the body of the dead person before burial. A wake traditionally involves a good deal of feasting and drinking.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with wake
In addition to the idioms beginning with wake
, also see
- in the wake of
- to wake the dead
.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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