wake-up call

/weɪk əp kɔl/

/ˈweɪkəp kɔl/

Other forms: wake-up calls

When you stay in a hotel and need to rise early in the morning, you can request a wake-up call, when an employee telephones at a specific time so you don't have to set an alarm.

A wake-up call is exactly what it sounds like, a ringing phone that acts as an alarm. You can arrange for a wake-up call when you're traveling, or ask your friend for an informal one on the mornings you both wake up early to go for a run. A figurative wake-up call is a sudden, clear warning that something bad is going on: "All those cavities were a real wake-up call about eating so much candy."

Definitions of wake-up call

1. noun

   a telephone call that you request be made a specific time in order to wake you up at that time (especially in hotels)
   “she left a wake-up call for 7 a.m.”

   type of:

   call, phone call, telephone call

   a telephone connection
2. noun

   a warning to take action concerning something that was overlooked or neglected
   type of:

   warning

   a message informing of danger