In recent years, "Woke", the past form of the verb "wake", has taken on a new meaning, being used as an adjective for a certain meaning of being "awake". (As a grammatical note, this is fairly parallel to the usage of the verb form "shook" to mean a scared or confused person). "Woke", as an adjective, is used to mean that someone is aware, conscientious, or enlightened about certain matters, usually sociopolitical. Only, of course, the modern course of slang being both rapid and convoluted, its current meaning, at least as I have seen it used, is sarcastic: to say someone is "totally woke" is to suggest that they have adopted a series of facile philosophies that allow them to appear superiorly cognizant, usually through espousing some combination of pop leftism, maybe with some conspiracy theories thrown in.

Woke (?), imp. & p. p.

Wake.

 

© Webster 1913.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.