wake up
/weɪk ʌp/◆phrasal verb
stop sleeping
I wake up at 7 AM every morning.
I stop sleeping at 7 AM every morning.
neutral
To stop sleeping and become conscious.
She woke up when the alarm rang.
She became conscious when the alarm sounded.
The baby woke up from his nap.
The baby stopped sleeping after his nap.
Can be used literally or metaphorically (e.g., 'wake up to reality').
Collocations
wake up earlystop sleeping at an early timewake up latestop sleeping at a late timewake up to somethingbecome aware of something
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Mistake
Avoid using 'wake up' to mean 'get out of bed.' Say 'get up' instead (e.g., 'I get up at 6 AM').
Gold Rule
Transitive vs. Intransitive
Use 'wake up' (intransitive) for yourself and 'wake someone up' (transitive) for others.
Word Origin
From Old English 'wacan' (to be awake) + 'ūp' (up). The phrasal verb form emerged in Middle English.
Usage Notes
Commonly used in everyday speech. Can be transitive ('wake someone up') or intransitive ('I wake up early').
Word Breakdown
wake
to stop sleeping
verbup
to a higher position or state
adverbEnglish Dictionary