to wake up and smell the coffee
01
to recognize the reality of a situation, no matter how unpleasant it may be
Dialect
American
American![to [wake] up and [smell] the coffee definition and meaning](https://cdn.langeek.co/photo/44808/original/?type=jpeg "to [wake] up and [smell] the coffee definition and meaning")
Idiom
Informal
例
You've been ignoring the signs of economic downturn for too long. It's time to wake up and smell the coffee.
She needs to wake up and smell the coffee about her unhealthy lifestyle before it's too late.
