rude awakening
noun
: surprising and unpleasant discovery that one is mistaken
He thinks he can get by without doing any work, but he is in for a rude awakening.
Examples of rude awakening in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Seeing and hearing the other students play was a rude awakening.
—
George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2025
That one wasn’t received very well, and that became a rude awakening.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 22 Dec. 2024
However, while discussing his experiences of hunting in Montana, Rogan recently said on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, that a lot of fans who may have been inspired to set up new lives in the state are in for a rude awakening over winter.
—Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
The former Republic bartender returns from law school to Charleston for the summer and is in for a rude awakening when rumors begin to swirl about his possible affairs back at school.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rude awakening 
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George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2025
That one wasn’t received very well, and that became a rude awakening.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 22 Dec. 2024
However, while discussing his experiences of hunting in Montana, Rogan recently said on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, that a lot of fans who may have been inspired to set up new lives in the state are in for a rude awakening over winter.
—Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
The former Republic bartender returns from law school to Charleston for the summer and is in for a rude awakening when rumors begin to swirl about his possible affairs back at school.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rude awakening
Dictionary Entries Near rude awakening
Cite this Entry
“Rude awakening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rude%20awakening. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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