already awake

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "already awake" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe someone who is no longer sleeping or has been awake for some time. Example: "I was surprised to find that she was already awake when I arrived at her house."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

29 human-written examples

I'm usually already awake.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Our hostess was already awake.

The Guardian - Travel

I approach the patient; she's already awake.

The Guardian

If I'm not already awake thinking about the coyotes".

The New Yorker

But I was already awake, trying to figure out what was happening".

Independent

But then I notice, through the sliding door, that the girls are already awake.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

31 human-written examples

He is already fascinated by the girl, and Mephisto has already awaked in him a physical desire for her.

The New Yorker

If the Force hasn't already awoken, it will come Friday.

Huffington Post

When your correspondent interviewed him, at 7am, he had already been awake for three hours and run five miles on a treadmill, as he does every day.

The Economist

By the time the sun rose yesterday, 77-year-old Lucille Singleton had already been awake and working for close to two hours.

The New York Times - Sports

In the mornings, when I crawl out of bed droopy eyed and messy haired, never once have I failed to find my grandma already wide awake, doing exercises in the living room.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "already awake" to emphasize that someone was in a state of wakefulness before a specific event or time, highlighting a contrast or expectation. For instance, "I expected to wake him, but he was "already awake"."

Common error

Avoid using "already awake" with redundant temporal adverbs that convey a similar sense of prior action, such as "already awake yet". It's more concise and effective to simply say "already awake".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "already awake" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a noun or pronoun, indicating a state of being conscious. As Ludwig AI points out, it is grammatically sound. It commonly describes someone who is not currently sleeping.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

72%

Science

16%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "already awake" is a grammatically correct and commonly used adjectival phrase that describes a state of consciousness prior to an expected time. Ludwig AI confirms its validity. It's predominantly found in News & Media sources and has a neutral register. While it's a simple expression, avoiding redundancy and paying attention to context are crucial for effective usage. Alternatives like "up already" can be employed for more casual contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

up already

A more casual and abbreviated way of saying the same thing.

already conscious

Focuses on awareness rather than just the state of not sleeping.

awake beforehand

Emphasizes that the wakefulness occurred before a specific event or time.

out of bed already

Adds the element of being physically out of bed, not just awake.

previously awake

Highlights that the person was awake at some earlier point in time.

no longer sleeping

A more formal and literal way to describe the state of being awake.

not still asleep

Expresses the idea by negating the opposite state.

had already awakened

Uses a more formal verb to express the action of waking up prior to a certain time.

wasn't asleep anymore

Similar to 'not still asleep', but with a slightly different phrasing.

alert and awake

Adds the dimension of alertness to the state of being awake.

FAQs

How can I use "already awake" in a sentence?

You can use "already awake" to describe a state of being conscious before an expected time or event. For example, "When I went to wake her up, she was "already awake" and reading a book."

What's a more casual way to say "already awake"?

A more casual alternative to "already awake" is "up already". For example, instead of saying "He was "already awake" when I called", you could say "He was "up already" when I called".

Is it redundant to say "already awake yet"?

Yes, saying "already awake yet" is generally considered redundant. The word "already" implies that something has happened before a certain point, making the "yet" unnecessary.

What's the difference between "already awake" and "still awake"?

"Already awake" suggests being awake before an expected time, whereas "still awake" implies that someone is awake longer than anticipated or should be sleeping. For example, "She was "already awake" at 6 a.m." versus "She was "still awake" at 3 a.m."