wake-up call

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR B1

Post

Figurative meaning

an event that forces you to realize a problem you were ignoring

Why this phrase?

The hotel phone call that jolts you from sleep.

Example

“Losing the biggest account was a wake-up call to fix reliability.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

bad news Informal · CEFR A2

an unpleasant piece of information; (informal) a person or thing likely to cause trouble

red flag Neutral · CEFR B1

a warning sign that something is wrong

the writing on the wall Neutral · CEFR B1

clear and unmistakable signs that failure or disaster is coming

take for granted Neutral · CEFR B2

to fail to appreciate something or assume it will always be there

the calm before the storm Neutral · CEFR B2

a quiet period immediately before trouble, intense activity, or chaos

the last straw Neutral · CEFR B2

The final small problem that makes a situation no longer tolerable.

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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