Meaning
- To stop sleeping and become conscious.
- To make someone else stop sleeping.
- To become aware or alert.
- To become more energetic or lively.
Today's Sentences
01
Did you wake up on time today?
Situation
Did you wake up on time today?
Barely.
I hit the snooze button three times.
You really need to wake up earlier if you want to catch the bus.
You’re right.
I should wind down for bed earlier.
02
Wake up to the dangers of junk food.
Situation
When will people finally wake up to the dangers of junk food?
Probably when their body breaks down.
That’s a harsh way to wake up to reality.
Sometimes it’s the only way people truly change bad habits.
Writer's Note
"Wake up" is a transitive, intransitive, separable and inseparable phrasal verb. Let’s dive into the details.
- Transitive - Needs an object for the sentence to make sense.
Structure: Subject + "wake up" + object
Example 1: Can you wake up the kids for school?
Example 2: He woke me up with a loud knock on the door.
Example 3: Don’t wake her up, she went to bed really late. - Intransitive - Does not need a direct object to complete its meaning.
Structure: Subject + "wake up" (to + noun/idea)
Example 1: I usually wake up at 6 a.m. every day.
Example 2: She woke up when the alarm rang.
Example 3: It’s time to wake up to the effects of climate change. - Separable - The verb and particle may be separated.
Structure: "Wake" + object + "up"
Example 1: She woke the baby up.
Example 2: I tried to wake my brother up, but he kept snoring.
Example 3: The thunderstorm woke me up in the morning. - Inseparable - It does not take an object, therefore there’s nothing to separate.
Structure: "Wake up" + (prep. phrase / idiomatic noun)
Example 1: I wake up at 7 every day.
Example 2: She finally woke up to the truth.
Example 3: He finally woke up to the dangers of smoking.
Related Words: Arise, awaken, become aware, come to one’s senses, get up, open one’s eyes, realize, rouse, shake awake, snap out of it, stir.
