The idiom "wake up and smell the coffee" means to become aware of what is happening around you and to start paying attention to reality. It is often used to tell someone that they need to open their eyes and see things as they really are, rather than living in a dream world or denying the truth.
For example, if someone is in a bad relationship but refuses to acknowledge it, you might say to them, "It's time to wake up and smell the coffee. You deserve better than this." Or if someone is not taking their studies seriously, you might say, "You need to wake up and smell the coffee. If you don't start studying, you're going to fail."
The idiom comes from the idea that the smell of coffee is strong and distinct, and can help to wake you up and make you alert. So when you tell someone to "wake up and smell the coffee," you are urging them to become more aware and alert to what is happening around them.
• If you want to succeed in life, you need to wake up and smell the coffee, and take responsibility for your own actions.
• Your business is failing, you need to wake up and smell the coffee.
• We need to wake up and smell the coffee and acknowledge the negative impact of climate change.
• It's time for society to wake up and smell the coffee and start taking action towards achieving equality for all.
• Wake up and smell the coffee! You need to study harder if you want to pass the exam.
• It's time to wake up and smell the coffee, you can't keep living in denial about your health.