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

Examples 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
Winter said he’s learned to enjoy being awake in bed and doesn’t stress when sleep doesn’t come easily. Korin Miller, Health, 1 Nov. 2024 That may include not eating sugar before bed, writing out your schedule for the next day if anxiety keeps you awake, and not working late into the night. Sophie Okolo, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
On the morning of Sept. 24, the day after the incident, O’Neill awoke in a hospital bed. Nicky Andrews, The Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2024 Residents of parts of upstate New York and Vermont awoke to winter-like weather Thursday morning, including the earliest a foot of snow has fallen in the higher elevations of the Green Mountain state in 14 years. Max Golembo, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for awake 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awake
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
Adjective
  • Bucks that seem alert and nervous — look for twitchy ears and a constantly bobbing head — are more likely to detect you movement and are also more likely to duck arrows.
    Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2024
  • Other cultures took naps during the day to adapt to intense midday temperatures or feel more alert during nighttime dangers.
    Carley Millhone, Health, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Stephen Brigstocke is likely dreaming of his next attempt on Nicholas’s life when a crashing noise wakes him in the middle of the night.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
  • But such is sadly not the case with Jing (Hedwig Tam) and her newborn, the latter of whom spends most of her waking moments crying hysterically.
    Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • As Richard drives them to his cabin, Iris awakens inside his car and produces a small knife from her pocket, attacking Richard and causing the car to crash.
    Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2024
  • Today in Science, a research team offers a surprising explanation: Pregnancy awakens ancient, viruslike elements in mammalian genomes, triggering an immune response that jump-starts blood production.
    ByCatherine Offord, science.org, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • But as with any potential emerging disease, staying vigilant is key.
    Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Japan’s Ministry of Defense in Tokyo vowed to remain vigilant, to continue to gather information and to monitor the situation closely.
    Hakyung Kate Lee, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • In stage one the car is controlled remotely by a watchful parent.
    Vijay Govindarajan, Tojin T. Eapen, Daniel J. Finkenstadt, Harvard Business Review, 1 Nov. 2024
  • An oncologist who, in the face of this much evidence, shrugged and proposed watchful waiting as the best therapy would not be an optimist.
    Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near awake

Cite this Entry

“Awake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awake. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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!