awakenings
|a-wa-ken-ings|
🇺🇸
/əˈweɪkənɪŋz/
🇬🇧
/əˈweɪk(ə)nɪŋz/
(awakening)
becoming awake or becoming aware
Etymology
'awakening' originates from Middle English, formed from the adjective or verb 'awake' + the verbal/adjectival suffix '-ing'.
'awake' itself comes from Old English 'āwacan' / 'awæcnan' (to wake, arise); Middle English formed verbs like 'awaken' (to make awake) by adding the -en suffix and later the -ing nominal/adjectival form produced 'awakening'.
Initially related specifically to 'becoming awake' (literal waking); over time it also took on figurative senses of 'becoming aware' or 'spiritual/intellectual awakening', which are common in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'awakening': acts or moments of waking from sleep.
Frequent awakenings during the night left her exhausted the next day.
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Noun 2
plural of 'awakening': moments or processes of becoming aware, conscious, or enlightened (figurative use).
The social awakenings of that era inspired many reform movements.
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Noun 3
title/Proper noun: the film 'Awakenings' (1990) or other works titled 'Awakenings'.
Awakenings brought renewed attention to the work of neurologists and patients alike.
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Last updated: 2025/11/17 17:28