Definition

1. Noun:

   • A vigil held over a corpse before burial: A gathering where people watch over or sit with a dead body, often involving prayers or remembrance.
   • The visible track of disturbed water left by a moving ship or boat: The trail of waves and turbulence created behind a vessel as it moves through water.
   • The aftermath or consequences of a significant event: The situation or effects that follow, especially a notable or disruptive occurrence.

2. Verb:

   • To stop sleeping; to become awake: To cease being asleep and regain consciousness.
   • To cause someone to stop sleeping; to rouse: To make another person become awake or conscious.
   • To make someone aware of something: To cause someone to realize or become conscious of a fact or situation.
   • To stir up or arouse feelings, memories, or passions: To evoke or rekindle emotions, thoughts, or reactions.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The family held a quiet wake for their grandfather.
  • The ferry's powerful wake rocked the small fishing boat.
  • The policy changes came in the wake of the economic crisis.

• Verb:

  • I usually wake at sunrise.
  • Could you wake me at 7 AM tomorrow?
  • The documentary woke the public to the severity of the issue.
  • The old song woke a deep sense of nostalgia in her.

Advanced Usage

• "In the wake of": Following as a consequence of; in the aftermath of.

  • The company made several reforms in the wake of the scandal.

• "To wake to something": To become conscious and aware of a particular situation or sound.

  • She woke to the smell of fresh coffee.

• "To wake the dead" (idiomatic): To be extremely loud.

  • That alarm clock is loud enough to wake the dead!

Variants and Related Words

• Waker (n): One who wakes.

• Waking (adj): Occurring during the time one is awake.

  • His waking hours were filled with worry.

• Awake (adj, v): Not asleep; to stop sleeping.

• Awaken (v): To rouse from sleep; to stir up.

Synonyms

• Noun (vigil): Watch, vigil.
• Noun (track): Trail, path, wash.
• Noun (aftermath): Aftermath, consequence, result.
• Verb (rouse): Awaken, rouse, arouse, stir.
• Verb (evoke): Stimulate, provoke, kindle, ignite.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Wake up: To stop sleeping; to become alert or aware.

  • I need to wake up early for my flight.
  • It's time to wake up to the realities of climate change.

• Wake up to: To become aware of a fact or situation.

  • He finally woke up to the truth about their relationship.

Related Idioms

• Wake-up call: An event that shocks someone into taking action or realizing a truth.

  • The heart attack was a wake-up call for him to start exercising.

• Follow in the wake of: To come after and be influenced by someone or something; to follow closely behind.

  • Many younger artists followed in the wake of the famous painter's innovative style.

Noun

1. a vigil held over a corpse the night before burial
   • there's no weeping at an Irish wake
2. the wave that spreads behind a boat as it moves forward
   • the motorboat's wake capsized the canoe
3. an island in the western Pacific between Guam and Hawaii
4. the consequences of an event (especially a catastrophic event)
   • the aftermath of war
   • in the wake of the accident no one knew how many had been injured

Verb

1. cause to become awake or conscious
   • He was roused by the drunken men in the street
   • Please wake me at 6 AM.
2. make aware of
   • His words woke us to terrible facts of the situation
3. arouse or excite feelings and passions
   • The ostentatious way of living of the rich ignites the hatred of the poor
   • The refugees' fate stirred up compassion around the world
   • Wake old feelings of hatred
4. stop sleeping
   • She woke up to the sound of the alarm clock
5. be awake, be alert, be there