woke
woke Lexical Profile
woke Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To emerge or cause someone to emerge from a state of sleep (past tense of wake).
"She woke early to watch the sunrise over the quiet harbor."
• adjective
Characterized by an excessive, dogmatic, or performative focus on identity politics, political correctness, and liberal social causes (used disapprovingly).
"Critics dismissed the company's latest advertising campaign as a shallow attempt at woke marketing."
Alert to and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues, especially those of racial and social justice.
"The university students organized a series of workshops to help their peers become more woke about systemic inequality."
Word Nuance & Usage
Originally used in African American Vernacular English with a positive connotation of being alert to racial injustice, the adjective 'woke' is now frequently used pejoratively by critics to describe policies or attitudes perceived as overly politically correct or performative.
• Rhymes for woke
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Old English strong verb 'wacan' (to awake or arise). Its modern sociopolitical adjectival sense emerged in African American Vernacular English in the early 20th century (notably in the phrase 'stay woke') and entered mainstream global usage in the 2010s through the Black Lives Matter movement.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.