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Merriam Webster and (Lexico) effectively define woke as social awareness. Bussel.com claims The Urban Dictionary has a similar definition, but over on The Urban Dictionary itself there are multiple definitions, the most popular being "pretentious". Other UD definitions range from similar derogatory meanings to agreeing with M-W / Lexico. On the BBC's Have Your Say pages it is being used by right wing posters to deride other posters and topics.

So the major dictionaries are mostly in agreement that it is a reasonably complimentary adjective, whilst there appears to be a popular swell to use it as a derogatory slur.

It's a bit like Humpty Dumpty in Through the looking glass “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” Can anyone shed any further light on the definition or are we doomed to live with this dichotomy?

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  • Is there a correct definition of any word? How many people need to use a word differently in order for that meaning to be correct? The most you could reasonably argue is that the entirely positive definitions are incomplete.
    – Juhasz
    Commented Jan 23, 2020 at 18:36
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    I'd like to pedanticize about Lexico and the OED being two quite different sources, e.g. the definitions in Lexico are simpler than that of the OED. Refer to this for extra info.
    – Lordology
    Commented Jan 23, 2020 at 18:51
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    I've sorted out the confusion with the very different dictionaries both put out by Oxford (one excellent, one peerless). / It might have been Phil White who first crystallised the truism 'All words are infinitely polysemous': your 'galore' is not my 'galore'; even your 'dimethylhydrazine' is not my 'dimethylhydrazine' (it evokes thoughts, connotations, of exams for me). And then there are famously 'peruse', 'sanction' and other contronyms. And perhaps worst of all, 'English' with its infinity of connotations. Especially on Thursdays.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Jan 23, 2020 at 19:11
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    Any word, but especially any word describing a social movement or political meaning, can be used sarcastically or derisively.
    – Damila
    Commented Jan 23, 2020 at 20:45

3 Answers 3

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It is worth noting that Urban Dictionary is not really so much a dictionary in any traditional sense as it is a strange game. There are straightforward definitions, but also social commentary, playing with words, etc.

The word woke is associated with being pretentious and other non-flattering descriptions not because anyone using the word non-ironically means it that way, but because of the perception of the brand of social awareness it is mostly used to describe.

Obviously, if this use as a term of reproach is widespread, it is a very real usage of the term, but it only makes sense in the context of the non-reproach definition for now.

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  • I suppose the answer is in the context. If the rest of the text is complementary to the subject then the meaning can be taken as "socially aware", if the text argues (insults) the subject then it's "pretentious" (or worse)
    – Peter Jennings
    Commented Jan 23, 2020 at 23:58
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The term woke dates back to the 1930's and meant "to be awake to racial injustices" within the African-American community. The use of "woke" became more common in the last decade and expanded to include being aware of social injustices in general. (Wikidef)

In my experience the derogatory use of "woke" refers to someone who has unwittingly embraced a harmful and unjust ideology that is contrary to their goals.

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    Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please edit to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center.
    – Community Bot
    Commented May 4, 2023 at 19:13
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They're actually all the right definition, and they aren't contradictory. Let me explain:

"Woke" means "socially aware" according to a leftist view of reality . A "woke" person may believe in things like reparations, gender-neutral bathrooms, affirmative action, etc. Among left-leaning people, therefore, "woke" is a compliment. On the other hand, a right-leaning person will disagree with this "woke" perspective and thus may use "woke" negatively to mean "a pretentious leftist person who thinks they understand social reality but are actually wrong."

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    Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please edit to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center.
    – Community Bot
    Commented May 4, 2023 at 4:35
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    I'm sorry, but I cannot accept your answer. IMHO it has nothing to do with left / right politics, but how you interact with and treat your fellow human beings. It may have been usurped by the selfish and the entitled in an attempt to slur those who object to their actions but you can have almost any political leaning and still be woke. But an exchange of comments here threatens to degenerate into a political slanging match which has no place on any SE site, so I suggest we stop now.
    – Peter Jennings
    Commented May 4, 2023 at 10:59

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