woke

[ wohk ]

/ woʊk /

verb

a simple past tense of wake¹.

adjective, Slang. (often used in the phrase stay woke)

actively aware of systemic injustices and prejudices, especially those related to civil and human rights: In light of recent incidents of police brutality, it’s important to stay woke.He took one African American history class and now he thinks he’s woke.

aware of the facts, true situation, etc. (sometimes used facetiously): The moon landing was staged. Stay woke!A tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable. Stay woke.

awake: I had to drink lots of coffee this morning to stay woke.

OTHER WORDS FROM woke

unwoke, adjective

Words nearby woke

woggle, wohlfahrtia, wohlfahrtiosis, wok, wokas, woke, woken, woking, wokingham, wokka board, wolcott

Definition for woke (2 of 2)

wake ¹

[ weyk ]

/ weɪk /

verb (used without object), waked or woke, waked or wok·en, wak·ing.

to 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.

verb (used with object), waked or woke, waked or wok·en, wak·ing.

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.

noun

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

before 900; (v.) in sense “to become awake” continuing Middle English waken, Old English *wacan (found only in past tense wōc and the compounds onwacan, āwacan to become awake; see awake (v.)); in sense “to be awake” continuing Middle English waken, Old English wacian (cognate with Old Frisian wakia, Old Saxon wakōn, Old Norse vaka, Gothic wakan); in sense “to rouse from sleep” continuing Middle English waken, replacing Middle English wecchen, Old English weccan, probably altered by association with the other senses and with the k of Old Norse vaka; (noun) Middle English: state of wakefulness, vigil (late Middle English: vigil over a dead body), probably continuing Old English *wacu (found only in nihtwacu night-watch); all ultimately < Germanic *wak- be lively; akin to watch, vegetable, vigil

SYNONYMS FOR wake

8 arouse.

9 stimulate, activate, animate, kindle, provoke.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR wake ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR wake

1 sleep.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR wake ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM wake

wak·er, noun half-wak·ing, adjective un·waked, adjective un·wak·ing, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for woke

One measly year later, Pam woke to find a naked Ewing grinning at her in the shower.

‘The Walking Dead’ Fans Demand: Bring Back Beth! |Melissa Leon |December 11, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
When she came to, she alleges that she woke up in his bed and Cosby had his shirt off.

Bill Cosby’s Long List of Accusers (So Far): 18 Alleged Sexual Assault Victims Between 1965-2004 |Marlow Stern |November 24, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
She woke up and realized she had no recollection of the past several hours.

How Bill Cosby Allegedly Silenced His Accusers Through A Tabloid Smear Campaign |Marlow Stern |November 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Another incident, in January, involved a Kenyan man, Paul Mutora, who woke up in the morgue 15 hours after being pronounced dead.

What It’s Like to Wake Up Dead |Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad |November 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

“I woke up and I was in the back of my car all alone,” Ferrier said.

How Bill Cosby Allegedly Silenced His Accusers Through A Tabloid Smear Campaign |Marlow Stern |November 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
And I woke with my eyes full of tears and my heart beating—for I believe in dreams.

The Woman in White |Wilkie Collins
When Auntie woke she saw at once by the light that it was much later than her usual time.

A Christmas Posy |Mary Louisa Stewart Molesworth
He stood in front of his wife and woke Stella up in order to make his declaration.

The Second Fiddle |Phyllis Bottome
Angelina Braid, on the morning of her third birthday, woke very early.

The Golden Scarecrow |Hugh Walpole
When I woke a slave was standing over me, and he said, "There is not one date left on the tree!"

The Violet Fairy Book |Various

British Dictionary definitions for woke (1 of 3)

woke

/ (wəʊk) /

verb

a past tense of wake 1

British Dictionary definitions for woke (2 of 3)

wake ¹

/ (weɪk) /

verb wakes, waking, woke or woken

(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

noun

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

Derived forms of wake

waker, noun

Word Origin for wake

Old English wacian; related to Old Frisian wakia, Old High German wahtēn

usage for wake

Where there is an object and the sense is the literal one wake ( up) and waken are the commonest forms: I wakened him; I woke him ( up). Both verbs are also commonly used without an object: I woke up . Awake and awaken are preferred to other forms of wake where the sense is a figurative one: he awoke to the danger

British Dictionary definitions for woke (3 of 3)

wake ²

/ (weɪk) /

noun

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

Word Origin for wake

C16: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse vaka, vök hole cut in ice, Swedish vak, Danish vaage; perhaps related to Old Norse vökr, Middle Dutch wak wet

Cultural definitions for woke

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.

Idioms and Phrases with woke

wake

In addition to the idioms beginning with wake

, also see

in the wake of
to wake the dead

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

woke

verb

adjective, Slang. (often used in the phrase stay woke)

OTHER WORDS FROM woke

Words nearby woke

Definition for woke (2 of 2)

verb (used without object), waked or woke, waked or wok·en, wak·ing.

verb (used with object), waked or woke, waked or wok·en, wak·ing.

noun

Origin of wake

SYNONYMS FOR wake

ANTONYMS FOR wake

OTHER WORDS FROM wake

Example sentences from the Web for woke

British Dictionary definitions for woke (1 of 3)

verb

British Dictionary definitions for woke (2 of 3)

verb wakes, waking, woke or woken

noun

Derived forms of wake

Word Origin for wake

usage for wake

British Dictionary definitions for woke (3 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for wake

Cultural definitions for woke

Idioms and Phrases with woke

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

woke

verb

adjective, Slang. (often used in the phrase stay woke)

OTHER WORDS FROM woke

Words nearby woke

Definition for woke (2 of 2)

verb (used without object), waked or woke, waked or wok·en, wak·ing.

verb (used with object), waked or woke, waked or wok·en, wak·ing.

noun

Origin of wake

SYNONYMS FOR wake

ANTONYMS FOR wake

OTHER WORDS FROM wake

Words related to woke

Example sentences from the Web for woke

British Dictionary definitions for woke (1 of 3)

verb

British Dictionary definitions for woke (2 of 3)

verb wakes, waking, woke or woken

noun

Derived forms of wake

Word Origin for wake

usage for wake

British Dictionary definitions for woke (3 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for wake

Cultural definitions for woke

Idioms and Phrases with woke