verb

waken

WAY-kuhn

Waken (verb) means to wake up, or to cause someone to wake up. Example: “The alarm clock wakened the whole house.”

verb

To wake up, or to cause someone to wake up.

"The alarm clock wakened the whole house."

"She wakened slowly, unsure what day it was."

How to use waken

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA slightly more formal or literary way of saying "wake."

When to use it

Less common in everyday speech than "wake up" — often found in literature.

wakened past tense, wakens singular

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Can you complete this real example?

The alarm clock _____ the whole house.

From Middle English waknen, from Old English wæcnan, from Proto-Germanic *waknaną.

Origin: Middle English

wake awake rouse arouse awaken wake up come alive

watch wake asleep conscious awake stir aftermath flock

taken shaken weaken Kraken forsaken mistaken overtaken godforsaken

What does “waken” mean?

The word “waken” means to wake up, or to cause someone to wake up. In plain terms, a slightly more formal or literary way of saying "wake.".

How do you pronounce “waken”?

“Waken” is pronounced WAY-kuhn (/ˈweɪkən/ in IPA).

How do you use “waken” in a sentence?

Here is “waken” used in a sentence: “The alarm clock wakened the whole house.”

What part of speech is “waken”?

“Waken” is a verb.

watch wake asleep conscious awake stir aftermath flock