alive and awake share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. alive means “possessing life”. awake means “not in a state of sleep; completely conscious”. alive is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈlaɪv/
1.adj.possessing life
“the happiest person alive”
2.adj.(often followed by `with') full of life and spirit
“she was wonderfully alive for her age”
3.adj.having life or vigor or spirit
“an animated and expressive face”
/əˈweɪk/
1.adj.not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
“lay awake thinking about his new job”
2.adj.mentally perceptive and responsive
“an alert mind”
3.v.stop sleeping
“She woke up to the sound of the alarm clock”
| alive | awake | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈlaɪv/ | /əˈweɪk/ |
| Said | uh-LAHYV | uh-WAYK |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 5 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | adjective | adjective, verb |
| Senses | 7 | 3 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | live | none recorded |
Full entry for alive · Full entry for awake · More comparisons