Definition of Woke, why the controversy?

Probably because in some instances ‘woke’ is taken to extremes .

An interesting gap between the dictionary definition and the popular understanding and use of the word.

The popular understanding of the word is that it is a word used to describe a person or their social opinions, where there social opinions are more 'advanced' or more 'liberal or more avant garde than the majoirty of the population.

I don't think its true meaning is really understood anymore.

As HPQ points out, it was used in threads recently to mean "rude words".

Its beginning not to be useful anymore and I have noticed in programmes on art and culture it's been dropped altogether,

Instead, people are precise about specific cultural opinions on different issues. which is better since the reality is a range of views on say race issues or womens issues or historical allusions.

I've always thought the word "woke" is vague and has been interpreted in different ways. I would be glad to see it phased out of day to day language.

Rather easy to deal with, if someone says you are "woke" simply reply "thank you" with a smile.

Words change their meaning all the time. Some words are dropped altogether, other older words become popular again. Language changes and grows. It’s nothing new.

Said this before, but I'll say it again,, when it comes to being 'woke', the inimitable Kathy Burke says it all: "I love being woke. It’s much nicer than being an ignorant tw**!

Woke has come to be a catch all description of any modern use of language, political or other activity that traditionalists don't like.

Being Aware or well informed in a political or cultural sense does not seem to fit the derogatory way so many people use the word. I blame the tabloids.

Spot on, Luminance and ViceVersa. I wear my " wokedom" with pride.

Yes, just say thank you.

I think it’s changed it’s meaning since it was hijacked by those justifying their own abusive intolerance to anyone whose views are not precisely aligned with their own.

It’s now used to indicate that someone is both intolerant and tedious.

People don’t stick to the OED definition.

A problem with catchy new buzzwords is that, for a time, nobody quite knows what they mean. Therefore, the trendies will start applying it in whichever sense suits them.
I loathe the word "woke" because it's ungrammatical (which I realise some people don't care about but yah-boo-sucks to them, let 'em live in their own dark caves). "Are you woke?" makes no grammatical sense (unless it's put into quotation marks) so it tends to evoke the response, "What are you asking me, exactly?" Unhelpful. I also loathe it because it's an example of trendies using a word simply because it's, well, trendy, rather than because they know exactly what it means. Don't get me started. Oh, I see you already have.

As HPQ points out, it was used in threads recently to mean "rude words “
I don’t think it was or if so the poster in question TOTALLY misunderstands.
I thought she was implying that the revulsion many felt at Wynne Evans’s crude and vulgar not to say inappropriate language was a “woke response”".
It is not “woke” to call out offensive language masquerading as “locker room banter”
It is not “woke” to call out or condemn misogyny, and vulgarity.
It is not “woke” to call out or condemn sexual harassment.
It is not “woke” to call out child sex abuse.
Nor is it “woke” to call out racism or religious intolerance.
It is common decency.

Woke seemed to become an insult at the same time as phobic.

It is not an insult, rather the tone it is used in and we are all quite aware that saying something in a sneery tone only happens because a person lacks the ability to offer a productive counter view.

ViceVersa

Said this before, but I'll say it again,, when it comes to being 'woke', the inimitable Kathy Burke says it all: "I love being woke. It’s much nicer than being an ignorant tw**!

Yes!

RosieandherMaw

^As HPQ points out, it was used in threads recently to mean "rude words^ “
I don’t think it was or if so the poster in question TOTALLY misunderstands.
I thought she was implying that the revulsion many felt at Wynne Evans’s crude and vulgar not to say inappropriate language was a “woke response”".
It is not “woke” to call out offensive language masquerading as “locker room banter”
It is not “woke” to call out or condemn misogyny, and vulgarity.
It is not “woke” to call out or condemn sexual harassment.
It is not “woke” to call out child sex abuse.
Nor is it “woke” to call out racism or religious intolerance.
It is common decency.

👏👏👏

I can't imagine there are many people who would say someone is woke to their face

Stupid word.

Luminance

It is not an insult, rather the tone it is used in and we are all quite aware that saying something in a sneery tone only happens because a person lacks the ability to offer a productive counter view.

I know it’s galling when a term you valued is twisted to mean the opposite. I struggled a while ago when “gay” became the in term for “rubbish”. But, unless there’s a turnabout quite soon, I think you have to accept that “woke” has become a negative term.

Sort of a preachy bore but with aggression.

Allsorts

Stupid word.

Agreed

HousePlantQueen

As this word is often thrown about on GN as some sort of insult, I thought that perhaps the definition may be useful;

By the mid-20th century," says the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), "woke had been extended figuratively to refer to being 'aware' or 'well informed' in a political or cultural sense."26 Jun 2017

I cannot see why this is used as an insult!

It's not an insult. Confusing when misused.

Aware, enlightened, inclusive - not insulting.

It's insulting now.

Words evolve