Phrase guide

wake up

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/
  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: [ˌweɪˈkʌp]
  • Received-Pronunciation: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Received-Pronunciation: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To stop sleeping; to awake.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To awaken somebody.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Wake your brother up; it's time for school.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To become more aware of a real-life situation; to concentrate on the matter in hand.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Some businesses were slow to wake up to the importance of the Internet.
  • That's the third time you've made the same mistake. Wake up!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

stop sleeping

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She woke up to the sound of the alarm clock

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: awake, arouse, awaken, wake, come alive, waken

Antonyms: fall asleep

Broader terms: change state, turn

5

verb

Meaning 5

cause to become awake or conscious

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He was roused by the drunken men in the street
  • Please wake me at 6 AM.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: awaken, wake, waken, rouse, arouse

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: reawaken, bring to, bring back, bring round, bring around, call

History

Etymology

From wake + up.

Across languages

Translations

295 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: wakker word — to (become) awake
  • Albanian: zgjoj — to (become) awake
  • Arabic: صَحَا (ṣaḥā) — to (become) awake
  • Arabic: اِسْتَيْقَظَ (istayqaẓa) — to (become) awake
  • Arabic: نَهَضَ مِنَ النَّوْمِ (nahaḍa mina n-nawmi) — to (become) awake
  • Arabic: فاق (fāq) — to (become) awake
  • Arabic: صِحي (ṣíḥi) — to (become) awake
  • Arabic: فاق (fāʔ) — to (become) awake
  • Arabic: وعي (wíʕi) — to (become) awake
  • Armenian: զարթնել (zartʻnel) — to (become) awake
  • Armenian: արթնանալ (artʻnanal) — to (become) awake
  • Azerbaijani: oyanmaq — to (become) awake
  • Azerbaijani: ayılmaq — to (become) awake
  • Azerbaijani: yuxudan durmaq — to (become) awake
  • Bashkir: уяныу (uyanıw) — to (become) awake
  • Basque: esnatu — to (become) awake
  • Basque: iratzarri — to (become) awake
  • Belarusian: абуджа́цца (abudžácca) — to (become) awake
  • Belarusian: абудзі́цца (abudzícca) — to (become) awake
  • Belarusian: прачына́цца (pračynácca) — to (become) awake
  • Belarusian: прачну́цца (pračnúcca) — to (become) awake
  • Bengali: জাগা (jaga) — to (become) awake
  • Bhojpuri: जगा जा (jagā jā) — to (become) awake
  • Bulgarian: събу́ждам се (sǎbúždam se) — to (become) awake
  • Burmese: နိုး (nui:) — to (become) awake
  • Catalan: despertar-se — to (become) awake
  • Cherokee: ᎠᏰᎦ (ayega) — to (become) awake
  • Chickasaw: okcha — to (become) awake
  • Chinese Mandarin: 醒 (xǐng) — to (become) awake
  • Chinese Mandarin: 醒來 /醒来 (xǐnglái) — to (become) awake
  • Czech: budit se — to (become) awake
  • Czech: vzbudit se — to (become) awake
  • Czech: probudit se — to (become) awake
  • Dalmatian: desmissur — to (become) awake
  • Danish: vågn op — to (become) awake
  • Danish: vågne — to (become) awake
  • Dutch: wakker worden — to (become) awake
  • Dutch: ontwaken — to (become) awake
  • Esperanto: vekiĝi — to (become) awake
  • Estonian: ärkama — to (become) awake
  • Faroese: vakna — to (become) awake
  • Finnish: herätä — to (become) awake
  • French: se réveiller — to (become) awake
  • Galician: espertar — to (become) awake
  • Georgian: გაღვიძება (gaɣviʒeba) — to (become) awake
  • German: aufwachen — to (become) awake
  • German: erwachen — to (become) awake
  • German: wach werden — to (become) awake
  • Greek: ξυπνάω (xypnáo) — to (become) awake
  • Mbya Guarani: vy — to (become) awake
  • Hawaiian: hoʻāla — to (become) awake
  • Hebrew: התעורר (hit'orér) — to (become) awake
  • Hindi: जागना (jāgnā) — to (become) awake
  • Hungarian: felébred — to (become) awake
  • Icelandic: vakna — to (become) awake
  • Indonesian: bangun — to (become) awake
  • Indonesian: membangunkan — to (become) awake
  • Ingrian: havaita — to (become) awake
  • Interlingua: eveliar se — to (become) awake
  • Irish: dúisigh — to (become) awake
  • Irish: múscail — to (become) awake
  • Italian: svegliarsi — to (become) awake
  • Japanese: 目覚める (mezameru) — to (become) awake
  • Japanese: 目を覚ます (me o samasu) — to (become) awake
  • Japanese: 覚める (sameru) — to (become) awake
  • Japanese: 起きる (okiru) — to (become) awake
  • Kazakh: ояну (oänu) — to (become) awake
  • Khmer: តើន (taən) — to (become) awake
  • Khmer: ភ្ញាក់ (phñĕək) — to (become) awake
  • Konkani: जागचे (jāgce) — to (become) awake
  • Korean: 눈뜨다 (nuntteuda) — to (become) awake
  • Korean: 일어나다 (ireonada) — to (become) awake
  • Kumyk: уянмакъ (uyanmaq) — to (become) awake
  • Central Kurdish: ھەڵسان (hellsan) — to (become) awake
  • Kyrgyz: ойгонуу (oygonuu) — to (become) awake
  • Lao: ຊວດ (sūat) — to (become) awake
  • Lao: ຊວາດ (suāt) — to (become) awake
  • Lao: ຕື່ນ (tư̄n) — to (become) awake
  • Latin: expergiscor — to (become) awake
  • Latin: evigilo — to (become) awake
  • Latin: exsuscito — to (become) awake
  • Latvian: pamosties — to (become) awake
  • Latvian: atmosties — to (become) awake
  • Lingala: kolamuka — to (become) awake
  • Low German: opwaken — to (become) awake
  • Low German: waak warrn — to (become) awake
  • Luxembourgish: erwächen — to (become) awake
  • Luxembourgish: waakreg ginn — to (become) awake
  • Macedonian: се буди (se budi) — to (become) awake
  • Malay: bangun — to (become) awake
  • Malayalam: ഉണരുക (uṇaruka) — to (become) awake
  • Malayalam: എഴുന്നേൽക്കുക (eḻunnēlkkuka) — to (become) awake
  • Manchu: ᡤᡝᡨᡝᠮᠪᡳ (getembi) — to (become) awake
  • Mongolian: сэрэх (serex) — to (become) awake
  • Navajo: chʼínádzííd — to (become) awake
  • Neapolitan: se scetà — to (become) awake
  • Nepali: उठ्नु (uṭhnu) — to (become) awake
  • Nepali: जाग्नु (jāgnu) — to (become) awake
  • Norwegian: våkne — to (become) awake
  • Norwegian Bokmål: stå opp — to (become) awake
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: vakna — to (become) awake
  • Occitan: se revelhar — to (become) awake
  • Occitan: se desrevelhar — to (become) awake
  • Old English: onwæcnan — to (become) awake
  • Persian: بیدار شدن (bidâr šodan) — to (become) awake
  • Polish: obudzić się — to (become) awake
  • Portuguese: acordar — to (become) awake
  • Portuguese: despertar — to (become) awake
  • Punjabi: ਜਾਗਣਾ (jāgṇā) — to (become) awake
  • Romanian: se trezi — to (become) awake
  • Romanian: se scula — to (become) awake
  • Romanian: se deștepta — to (become) awake
  • Russian: просыпа́ться (prosypátʹsja) — to (become) awake
  • Russian: просну́ться (prosnútʹsja) — to (become) awake
  • Russian: пробужда́ться (probuždátʹsja) — to (become) awake
  • Russian: пробуди́ться (probudítʹsja) — to (become) awake
  • Sanskrit: बुध्यते (budhyate) — to (become) awake
  • Sanskrit: जागर्ति (jāgarti) — to (become) awake
  • Serbo-Croatian: пробуђивати се — to (become) awake
  • Serbo-Croatian: пробудити се — to (become) awake
  • Serbo-Croatian: probuđivati se — to (become) awake
  • Serbo-Croatian: probuditi se — to (become) awake
  • Slovak: budiť sa — to (become) awake
  • Slovak: vzbudiť sa — to (become) awake
  • Slovak: prebudiť sa — to (become) awake
  • Slovene: zbujati se — to (become) awake
  • Slovene: zbuditi se — to (become) awake
  • Spanish: despertarse — to (become) awake
  • Spanish: recordar — to (become) awake
  • Spanish: despertar — to (become) awake
  • Swedish: vakna — to (become) awake
  • Tagalog: gising — to (become) awake
  • Tai Dón: ꪔꪳꪙꫀ — to (become) awake
  • Tajik: бедор шудан (bedor šudan) — to (become) awake
  • Tamil: விழி (viḻi) — to (become) awake
  • Tamil: எழுந்திரு (eḻuntiru) — to (become) awake
  • Telugu: విదితమగు (viditamagu) — to (become) awake
  • Thai: ตื่น (dtʉ̀ʉn) — to (become) awake
  • Thai: ตื่นนอน (dtʉ̀ʉn-nɔɔn) — to (become) awake
  • Turkish: uyanmak — to (become) awake
  • Turkmen: oýanmak — to (become) awake
  • Ukrainian: прокида́тися (prokydátysja) — to (become) awake
  • Ukrainian: проки́нутися (prokýnutysja) — to (become) awake
  • Ukrainian: пробу́джуватися (probúdžuvatysja) — to (become) awake
  • Ukrainian: пробуди́тися (probudýtysja) — to (become) awake
  • Ukrainian: просипа́тися (prosypátysja) — to (become) awake
  • Ukrainian: просну́тися (prosnútysja) — to (become) awake
  • Urdu: جاگنا (jāgnā) — to (become) awake
  • Uzbek: uygʻotmoq — to (become) awake
  • Vietnamese: thức dậy — to (become) awake
  • Vietnamese: dậy lên — to (become) awake
  • Vietnamese: dậy — to (become) awake
  • Vietnamese: thức — to (become) awake
  • Yiddish: אויפֿוועקן (oyfvekn) — to (become) awake
  • Yucatec Maya: ajal — to (become) awake
  • Zhuang: dauqndiu — to (become) awake
  • Zhuang: ndiu — to (become) awake
  • Zhuang: singj — to (become) awake
  • Afrikaans: wakker maak — to awaken (someone else)
  • Afrikaans: wek — to awaken (someone else)
  • Arabic: أَيْقَظَ (ʔayqaẓa) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Arabic: صَحّى (ṣaḥḥā) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Arabic: قَوّم (gawwam) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Arabic: فيق (fayyaq) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Arabic: صحّى (ṣaḥḥa) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Arabic: فيّق (fáyyaʔ) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Arabic: وَعّى (wáʕʕa) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Armenian: զարթնեցնել (zartʻnecʻnel) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Armenian: արթնացնել (artʻnacʻnel) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Aromanian: dishteptu — to awaken (someone else)
  • Azerbaijani: durğuzmaq — to awaken (someone else)
  • Azerbaijani: oyatmaq — to awaken (someone else)
  • Azerbaijani: oyandırmaq — to awaken (someone else)
  • Bashkir: уятыу (uyatıw) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Basque: esnatu — to awaken (someone else)
  • Belarusian: будзі́ць (budzícʹ) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Belarusian: разбу́джваць (razbúdžvacʹ) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Belarusian: разбудзі́ць (razbudzícʹ) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Belarusian: абудзі́ць (abudzícʹ) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Bengali: জাগানো (jaganō) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Bulgarian: пробу́ждам (probúždam) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Bulgarian: пробу́дя (probúdja) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Bulgarian: бу́дя (búdja) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Catalan: despertar — to awaken (someone else)
  • Chinese Mandarin: 喚醒 /唤醒 (huànxǐng) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Chinese Mandarin: 叫醒 (jiàoxǐng) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Maore Comorian: umidza — to awaken (someone else)
  • Ngazidja Comorian: udjusa — to awaken (someone else)
  • Czech: budit — to awaken (someone else)
  • Czech: vzbudit — to awaken (someone else)
  • Czech: probudit — to awaken (someone else)
  • Danish: vække — to awaken (someone else)
  • Dutch: wakker maken — to awaken (someone else)
  • Dutch: wekken — to awaken (someone else)
  • Esperanto: veki — to awaken (someone else)
  • Estonian: äratama — to awaken (someone else)
  • Faroese: vakja — to awaken (someone else)
  • Finnish: herättää — to awaken (someone else)
  • French: réveiller — to awaken (someone else)
  • Galician: espertar — to awaken (someone else)
  • Georgian: გააღვიძებს (gaaɣviʒebs) — to awaken (someone else)
  • German: aufwecken — to awaken (someone else)
  • German: wecken — to awaken (someone else)
  • German: wach machen — to awaken (someone else)
  • Hebrew: העיר (he'ír) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Hindi: जगाना (jagānā) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Hungarian: felébreszt — to awaken (someone else)
  • Hungarian: felkelt — to awaken (someone else)
  • Icelandic: vekja — to awaken (someone else)
  • Indonesian: bangunkan — to awaken (someone else)
  • Ingrian: nostaa — to awaken (someone else)
  • Ingrian: ylentää — to awaken (someone else)
  • Interlingua: eveliar — to awaken (someone else)
  • Irish: dúisigh — to awaken (someone else)
  • Italian: svegliare — to awaken (someone else)
  • Japanese: 目覚めさせる (mezamesaseru) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Japanese: 起こす (okosu) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Khmer: ដាស់ (dah) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Korean: 깨우다 (kkae'uda) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Latin: expergō — to awaken (someone else)
  • Latin: excitō — to awaken (someone else)
  • Latin: expergiscor — to awaken (someone else)
  • Latvian: pamodināt — to awaken (someone else)
  • Latvian: atmodināt — to awaken (someone else)
  • Low German: opwecken — to awaken (someone else)
  • Low German: oppuren — to awaken (someone else)
  • Low German: waak maken — to awaken (someone else)
  • Luxembourgish: erwächen — to awaken (someone else)
  • Macedonian: буди (budi) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Macedonian: разбуди (razbudi) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Malayalam: ഉണർത്തുക (uṇaṟttuka) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Malayalam: എഴുന്നേൽപ്പിക്കുക (eḻunnēlppikkuka) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Nepali: उठाउनु (uṭhāunu) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Nepali: जगाउनु (jagāunu) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: vekkja — to awaken (someone else)
  • Occitan: despertar — to awaken (someone else)
  • Occitan: revelhar — to awaken (someone else)
  • Occitan: desvelhar — to awaken (someone else)
  • Old English: āweċċan — to awaken (someone else)
  • Polish: budzić — to awaken (someone else)
  • Polish: obudzić — to awaken (someone else)
  • Portuguese: acordar — to awaken (someone else)
  • Portuguese: despertar — to awaken (someone else)
  • Romanian: deștepta — to awaken (someone else)
  • Romanian: scula — to awaken (someone else)
  • Romanian: trezi — to awaken (someone else)
  • Russian: буди́ть (budítʹ) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Russian: разбуди́ть (razbudítʹ) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Russian: пробужда́ть (probuždátʹ) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Russian: пробуди́ть (probudítʹ) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Sanskrit: बोधयति (bodhayati) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Serbo-Croatian: пробуђи́вати — to awaken (someone else)
  • Serbo-Croatian: пробу́дити — to awaken (someone else)
  • Serbo-Croatian: probuđívati — to awaken (someone else)
  • Serbo-Croatian: probúditi — to awaken (someone else)
  • Slovak: budiť — to awaken (someone else)
  • Slovak: vzbudiť — to awaken (someone else)
  • Slovak: prebudiť — to awaken (someone else)
  • Slovene: prebujati — to awaken (someone else)
  • Slovene: prebuditi — to awaken (someone else)
  • Spanish: despertar — to awaken (someone else)
  • Swedish: väcka — to awaken (someone else)
  • Tamil: எழுப்பு (eḻuppu) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Thai: ปลุก (bplùk) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Turkish: uyandırmak — to awaken (someone else)
  • Ottoman Turkish: ایقاظ ایتمك (ikâz etmek) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Ukrainian: буди́ти (budýty) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Ukrainian: пробу́джувати (probúdžuvaty) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Ukrainian: розбу́джувати (rozbúdžuvaty) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Ukrainian: пробуди́ти (probudýty) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Ukrainian: розбуди́ти (rozbudýty) — to awaken (someone else)
  • Vietnamese: đánh thức — to awaken (someone else)
  • Basque: esnatu — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Dutch: wakker worden — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Dutch: ontwaken — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Finnish: herätä — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Galician: espelir — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Galician: decatar — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Georgian: გამოიღვიძებს (gamoiɣviʒebs) — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • German: aufwachen — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • German: wach werden — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • German: sich bewusst werden — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Hebrew: התעורר (hit'orér) — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Hungarian: ráébred — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Hungarian: észbe kap — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Hungarian: ráeszmél — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Hungarian: felfigyel — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Low German: waak warrn — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Low German: bewüsst warrn — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Portuguese: despertar — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Romanian: trezi — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Spanish: despertar — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Spanish: espabilar — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Spanish: espabilarse — to become more aware of a real-life situation.
  • Tamil: விழி (viḻi) — to become more aware of a real-life situation.