Standard Lemma guide

wakeful

adj · 6 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈweɪk.fʊl/
  • /ˈweɪk.f(ə)l/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Awake; not sleeping.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Sleepless.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Vigilant and alert; watchful.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

carefully observant or attentive; on the lookout for possible danger

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a policy of open-eyed awareness
  • the vigilant eye of the town watch
  • there was a watchful dignity in the room
  • a watchful parent with a toddler in tow

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: argus-eyed, open-eyed, vigilant

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

marked by full consciousness or alertness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • worked every moment of my waking hours

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: waking

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

(of sleep) easily disturbed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • in a light doze
  • a light sleeper
  • a restless wakeful night

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: light

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From wake + -ful.

Across languages

Translations

42 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: буден (buden) — awake rather than sleeping — see also awake
  • French: éveillé — awake rather than sleeping — see also awake
  • Hungarian: éber — awake rather than sleeping — see also awake
  • Hungarian: ébren — awake rather than sleeping — see also awake
  • Latin: vigil — awake rather than sleeping — see also awake
  • Latin: exsomnis — awake rather than sleeping — see also awake
  • Māori: matatū — awake rather than sleeping — see also awake
  • Occitan: espertat — awake rather than sleeping — see also awake
  • Portuguese: vígil — awake rather than sleeping — see also awake
  • Ottoman Turkish: سهران (sehran) — awake rather than sleeping — see also awake
  • Belarusian: бяссо́нны (bjassónny) — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Bulgarian: безсънен (bezsǎnen) — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • German: wach — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • German: schlaflos — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • German: wachsam — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • German: aufmerksam — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • German: unruhig — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • German: vigilant — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Hungarian: álmatlan — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Italian: irrequieto — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Italian: smanioso — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Italian: vigile — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Italian: attento — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Latin: evigilans — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Māori: tūrama — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Māori: tūramarama — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Māori: whakawhetū — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Norwegian: vaken — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Polish: bezsenny — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Portuguese: desperto — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Ottoman Turkish: اویقوسز (uykusuz) — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Ottoman Turkish: سهران (sehran) — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Ukrainian: безсо́нний (bezsónnyj) — sleepless — see also sleepless
  • Bulgarian: бдителен (bditelen) — watchful — see also vigilant, watchful
  • Hungarian: elővigyázatos — watchful — see also vigilant, watchful
  • Hungarian: éber — watchful — see also vigilant, watchful
  • Hungarian: észnél van — watchful — see also vigilant, watchful
  • Italian: vigile — watchful — see also vigilant, watchful
  • Latin: vigil — watchful — see also vigilant, watchful
  • Portuguese: vigilante — watchful — see also vigilant, watchful
  • Ottoman Turkish: سهران (sehran) — watchful — see also vigilant, watchful
  • Ukrainian: пи́льний (pýlʹnyj) — watchful — see also vigilant, watchful