awakening
noun
awak·en·ing
ə-ˈwāk-niŋ 
ə-ˈwā-kə-
plural awakenings
1
: a rousing from sleep
The night terror is an abrupt awakening early in the night, most often within the first hour or two of sleep …—
Franklin Galvin et al.
Franklin Galvin et al.2
a
: a rousing from inactivity or indifference
… one of the primary branches of yoga … prescribes various practices to assist the yogi in the gradual awakening of the heart.—James Bailey
James Bailey
b
: a revival of interest in something (such as religion)
Russian Jews themselves experienced a cultural and political awakening after Israel's victory, some openly challenging their government's ban on religious and Hebrew training.—Jonathan D. Sarna
Jonathan D. Sarna3
: a coming into awareness
Like his discovery of literature, this intimacy becomes an awakening to the possibilities of life.—Morris Dickstein
Morris DicksteinExamples of awakening in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Johnson briefly opts for a subjective point of view, placing us in Paul’s awakening perspective.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025
A lot of them were still in touch with one another even today, and had vivid memories of life-changing moments of awakening in the groups, achieved by sharing stories and truths from their own lives with other women.
—Jeryl Brunner, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Wang has described the longue durée of China’s modern awakening that began with May 4 as an earthquake, and the century that separates the predicaments of Guo Qinguang and Zhang Koukou as a natural interval between aftershocks.
—Philip Tinari, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025
Under the guidance of the brilliant but vicious and ethically challenged attorney Roy Cohn, Trump is introduced to the corridors of New York City power and undergoes a political awakening.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2025
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Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025
A lot of them were still in touch with one another even today, and had vivid memories of life-changing moments of awakening in the groups, achieved by sharing stories and truths from their own lives with other women.
—Jeryl Brunner, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Wang has described the longue durée of China’s modern awakening that began with May 4 as an earthquake, and the century that separates the predicaments of Guo Qinguang and Zhang Koukou as a natural interval between aftershocks.
—Philip Tinari, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025
Under the guidance of the brilliant but vicious and ethically challenged attorney Roy Cohn, Trump is introduced to the corridors of New York City power and undergoes a political awakening.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for awakening
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Cite this Entry
“Awakening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/awakening. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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