Definition

Noun 1. The act of waking up; the process of ceasing to sleep and becoming conscious. It refers to the moment or state of transition from sleep to wakefulness. 2. The act of rousing someone or something from sleep or inactivity; an awakening. It can describe the action of causing someone to wake up.

Usage

• The word "wakening" is a formal or literary synonym for "awakening" or "waking." It is less common in everyday speech.
• It is used as a countable noun to describe a single instance or the general concept of waking up.
• It can describe a natural, internal process or an external action that causes someone to wake.

Examples

• Natural Process:
  • The gentle wakening brought by the morning sun is a pleasant way to start the day.
  • She described the slow wakening of the forest as the dawn light spread.
• Caused by an External Action:
  • The sudden wakening by the alarm clock left him feeling groggy.
  • He was responsible for the wakening of the entire household.

Advanced Usage

• "The Great Wakening": A historical or metaphorical term for a period of widespread intellectual, spiritual, or social awakening (analogous to "The Great Awakening" in American religious history).
  • The poet wrote about the great wakening of national consciousness during that era.

Variants and Related Words

• Awakening (n): A more common synonym for "wakening," often used for both the physical act and metaphorical revivals of interest or awareness.
• Waking (n/adj): The state of being awake; used as a noun ("the waking from a deep sleep") or an adjective ("the waking world").
• Rousing (n): The act of stirring from sleep or inactivity.
• To waken (v): A verb meaning to wake up or to rouse someone. (e.g., )

Synonyms

• Awakening
• Waking (up)
• Rousing
• Arousal

Antonyms

• Sleeping
• Slumbering
• Drowsing

Idioms and Phrases

• "At the wakening of the world": A poetic phrase meaning at dawn or at the beginning of time.
  • Legends say the creatures existed at the wakening of the world.

Noun

1. the act of waking
   • it was an early awakening
   • it was the waking up he hated most