1 A2 neutral
To stop sleeping and become awake and conscious.
"I woke up at six o'clock this morning and couldn't get back to sleep."
inseparable
wake up
A2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To stop sleeping and become conscious; also used figuratively to become aware of a truth or situation.
In plain English
To stop sleeping and open your eyes; or to realize something important you hadn't noticed before.
What does "wake up" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To cause someone else to stop sleeping.
"The loud thunder woke me up at three in the morning."
separable
3 B1 idiomatic neutral
To become aware of a truth, problem, or situation that one had been ignoring.
"Governments need to wake up to the reality of climate change before it is too late."
inseparable
4 B1 idiomatic informal
To become more alert, energetic, or lively after a period of dullness.
"The whole room woke up when the comedian finally came on stage."
inseparable
Usage tip
One of the most common phrasal verbs in English. When transitive ('wake someone up'), it is separable. The figurative sense ('wake up to the truth') is very common in political and motivational speech. The imperative 'Wake up!' is used both literally and figuratively.
Words that pair with "wake up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
morning alarm neighbor reality truth noise
How to conjugate "wake up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
wake up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
wakes up
he/she/it
Past simple
woke up
yesterday
Past participle
woken up
have + pp
-ing form
waking up
continuous
Hear "wake up" in the wild
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