Meaning & use
awakening
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Meanings
nouncountablefigurative
A moment when someone suddenly becomes aware of a truth or begins to see the world differently.
Grammar: Usually singular with an or an: it was a real awakening for her.
Patterns
- an awakening to something
- an awakening for someone
The trip to the refugee camp was a real awakening for the students.
His first year abroad brought a sudden awakening about how much he took for granted.
She described her illness as an awakening that changed her priorities.
nounsingularformal
The point at which a feeling, interest or movement begins to stir and grow.
Grammar: Often followed by of or to: the awakening of interest.
Patterns
- the awakening of something
- an awakening of interest
The book describes the awakening of national pride in the 1800s.
The festival marked the awakening of the town after a long winter.
A first love can bring an awakening of the heart.
nouncountable or uncountableliterary
The act of waking from sleep.
Grammar: Often literary; ordinary speech uses 'waking up'.
Patterns
- on awakening
- a gentle awakening
On awakening, she could hear birds in the garden.
His awakening was slow and painful after the long flight.
The alarm brought an unpleasant awakening at five in the morning.
Word forms
| plural | awakenings |
|---|
Common combinations
- rude awakening
- The bill came as a rude awakening for the young couple.
- spiritual awakening
- He spoke of a spiritual awakening during his long walk.
- sudden awakening
- A sudden awakening shook her confidence in the old plan.
- political awakening
- The protests marked the political awakening of a generation.
- gradual awakening
- There was a gradual awakening to the dangers of pollution.
- awakening to
- The article describes an awakening to climate risks.
Synonyms and how they differ
- realization
- Realization is a plain word for coming to see a fact, while awakening adds the idea of a deep shift in outlook.
- epiphany
- An epiphany is a single flash of insight that feels dramatic, whereas an awakening can build up slowly.
- revelation
- A revelation is something newly disclosed that surprises you, while awakening describes your own change in awareness.
- enlightenment
- Enlightenment is bigger and more spiritual or philosophical, and it suggests long-lasting understanding.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: awakening or awaking? awakening or waking?
awakening vs awaking
Awaking is the -ing form of the verb awake, while awakening is the noun for the moment or event of waking or realizing.
awakening vs waking
Waking is the ordinary word for coming out of sleep, while awakening is usually used for realizations or in literary contexts.
Practice
Which phrase best completes the sentence: 'Seeing the empty shelves was a ___ for the new manager.'
Choose one answer.
A rude awakening is an unpleasant discovery that forces you to face reality. The other phrases are not set expressions and do not describe a shock.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “awakening”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.