awake 1 of 2

awake

2 of 2

verb

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
And then just as you’re getting lulled by the electro vibe of it all, John comes in with a bright piano solo, crackling you awake again. 70. Shana Naomi Krochmal, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025 Consider a 4-year-old who has been awake for 16,000 hours, LeCun suggests. Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
Carroll, in an interview before his death, recalled being awoken one night at 3:30 a.m. by a ringing phone from a top skating official. Chris Kenning, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025 In both, the protagonist is awoken by the game’s main heroine, have completely lost their memory, and both focus on the survivors of a great calamity — with Earth being destroyed in Xenoblade, and Ganon destroying Hyrule in Zelda. Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for awake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awake
Adjective
  • Lauren Goode: Who among us doesn't want to have a nap gently guided by our wakeful rhythm?
    Lauren Goode, WIRED, 16 Jan. 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • In these cases, being alert to others’ moods became a survival strategy.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The Suncoast region is seeing particularly high alert levels.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Investors are slowly waking to the opportunities created by China’s ban on the export of rare earths but a modest uptick in the share prices of non-Chinese miners of the material could be just the start of something much bigger.
    Tim Treadgold, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Shapiro, a Democrat, said Pennsylvania State Police woke him and his family at 2 a.m. to evacuate them as the fire spread.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Shapiro said his family and guests were awakened by state troopers banging on their doors at around 2 a.m. on Sunday.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Shapiro said he, his wife, their four children, two dogs and another family that had celebrated the Jewish holiday of Passover at the residence Saturday were awakened by state troopers about 2 a.m.
    Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But being vigilant and seeking medical attention at the first sign of the illness—which is caused by a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same culprit behind chicken pox—can make a big difference in your recovery.
    Alisa Hrustic, SELF, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Remain vigilant in our name, and in memory of us; recognize when human rights, women’s rights, children’s rights and minority rights are being violated.
    Stephanie Liechtenstein, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Rand and Egwene forge their own path under Moiraine's watchful eye.
    John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
  • For now, the babies are being kept out of public view in the zoo’s Reptile and Amphibian House, under the watchful eye of the animal care team.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Awake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awake. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on awake

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!