wake
7 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of WAKE
1
[+ object]
:
to cause (a person or animal) to be awake after sleeping
— often + up
-
The sound of children shouting woke [=awakened, wakened] me.
-
Don't hesitate to wake me up if you need anything at all.
2
[no object]
:
to stop sleeping
:
to become awake after sleeping
— usually + up
-
She can never remember her dreams upon waking.
-
I woke up late for work this morning.
-
He had woken up with a headache.
wake up
[phrasal verb]
1
:
to become fully awake and energetic
-
It takes a couple cups of coffee for me to really wake up in the morning.
2
wake up
or
wake (someone) up
:
to become aware or to cause (someone) to become aware of something
— often + to
-
He finally started to wake up and take care of his health.
-
Tourists are only now waking up to the fact [=are only now starting to realize] that this is a great place to visit.
-
The study woke us up to the importance of regular exercise. [=made us realize the importance of regular exercise]
wake up and smell the coffee
US, informal also wake up and smell the roses
:
to realize the truth about your situation
:
to become aware of what is really happening
-
These problems are not going to fix themselves. Voters need to wake up and smell the coffee and elect someone who will get things done.
2
wake
/ˈweɪk/
noun
plural
wakes
2
wake
/ˈweɪk/
noun
plural
wakes
Britannica Dictionary definition of WAKE
[count]
:
a time before a dead person is buried when people gather to remember the person who has died and often to view the body
—
compare 3wake
3
wake
/ˈweɪk/
noun
plural
wakes
3
wake
/ˈweɪk/
noun
plural
wakes
Britannica Dictionary definition of WAKE
[count]
:
the track left by a boat moving through the water
in someone's or something's wake
— used to say what is left behind by someone or something
-
The dog climbed out of the pool, leaving a trail of water in her wake.
-
He went from job to job, leaving a trail of broken promises in his wake.
in the wake of
— used to say what happens after and often as a result of something
-
Safety regulations were improved in the wake of the oil spill.
—
compare 2wake
