Definition of yawnernext
as in bore
someone or something boring even die-hard opera fans are finding this production to be a real yawner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of yawner With all that going on, Joel Embiid’s 42 against New Orleans Monday was a yawner. — Bob Ryan, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Jan. 2023 If the stakes had not been so high—with election deniers on the ballot and the GOP running as the party of destruction—this would have been seen as a yawner of a midterm. — Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 28 Nov. 2022 Heading into the final, the Wolverines threatened to make a yawner out of what would prove to be their first title since 1989. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019 Psychologists have claimed that contagious yawning is linked to empathy in humans—those who yawn back are thought to be empathizing with the initial yawner’s feelings of boredom, fatigue or stress. — Erica Tennenhouse, Discover Magazine, 22 Mar. 2018 See All Example Sentences for yawner
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yawner
Noun
  • Snow recently did an in-depth shoot-out of quarter-bore cartridges, new and old.
    — John B. Snow, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Virtually all those trips involved hassle that was a bore to write about and just as boring to read.
    — Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The reward challenge is an obstacle course (yawn), and the Yellow Tribe wins.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Right now, this work may induce yawns, but as long-term exploration efforts of the moon and other bodies become both more serious and more varied, the complexity of mapping these worlds may increase.
    — Meghan Bartels, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Yawner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yawner. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!