WAKEN Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

waken

verb

ˈwā-kən

Definition of waken

as in to wake

to cause to stop sleeping a sudden loud noise wakened us

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to awake

to cease to be asleep she usually wakens when sunlight begins to stream through the windows

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example 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 waken However, my condo association includes several dozen inland three-story condominium buildings, which means that the chance that our residents will be wakened by their building collapsing around them is near zero. — Bruce Strom, Sun Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2025 More than that, there is obvious attraction — Mags has a bisexual side that suddenly wakens from long slumber. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025 Two easy arm swing stretches to waken your shoulders after hours hunched over computers and phones. — Jonathan Beverly, Outside Online, 19 May 2020 Or later consciousness resurfaces in the morning on my return to the wakening world. — Christof Koch, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2017 The dogs were asleep in their kennels at the time and wakened only when the would-be thief was discovered by the staff. — Anne F. Thurston, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2016

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waken

Verb

The medications work by blocking certain chemical messengers in the part of the brain that regulates body temperature and manages sleep/wake cycles, according to the guidance.

— Shannon Firth, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026
Your body’s stress hormone peaks naturally about an hour after waking, and layering caffeine on top amplifies the spike.

— Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of wake

Verb

Ukrainians awoke on Wednesday to find that their military had been restricted in its use of Starshield, the American satellite service undergirding swaths of the nation’s defensive infrastructure and weaponry.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
The Pope's surgery, which the doctors said was successful, lasted about 90 minutes, after which Leo awoke normally and, following a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the hospital's 10th floor.

— Scott Detrow, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of awake

Browse Nearby Words

wakefulness

waken

wakened

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Waken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waken. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of waken

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes