1. to wake up or cause someone to wake up from sleep
2. to become alert or aware, or to make someone alert or aware

Examples

• The alarm clock will waken me at six in the morning.
• She tried not to waken the sleeping baby.
• The loud thunder wakened everyone in the house.
• His speech wakened their interest in politics.
• The smell of coffee wakened her from her daydream.
• The crisis wakened the public to the dangers of pollution.