yawn

play

verb \ ˈyȯn , ˈyän \

Definition of yawn

intransitive verb

1 :to open wide :gape

2 :to open the mouth wide and take a deep breath usually as an involuntary reaction to fatigue or boredom

transitive verb

1 :to utter with a yawn

2 :to accomplish with or impel by yawns

his grandchildren yawned him to bed
—L. L. King

See yawn defined for English-language learners

See yawn defined for kids

Examples of yawn in a Sentence

Students were yawning in class.

Recent Examples of yawn from the Web

The Santa Cruz is a textbook example of a truck that critics and auto writers like myself cheer for while buyers yawn.

— mark phelan, Detroit Free Press, "Hyundai will build the Santa Cruz pickup? Wake me when they sell 100,000," 22 Aug. 2017
But that's nothing compared to South Korea, which has a yawning 40 percent pay gap.

— Bloomberg.com, "Your Evening Briefing," 1 Aug. 2017
Some staffers also didn’t like how Gettleman reshaped the roster following the 2015 Super Bowl season, leaving yawning gaps in the secondary and along the offensive line that were exposed during a 6-10 campaign last year.

— joseph person and scott fowler, charlotteobserver, "Inside story of how stunning firing of Panthers GM Dave Gettleman unfolded," 21 July 2017
Try not to yawn through this story - Alabama values a good night's sleep.

— william thornton, AL.com, "How much would Alabamians pay for a good night's sleep?," 19 July 2017
Things got better on Sunday, as Mother Nature relented and organizers placed boards over the most serious mudbogs and yawning puddles.

— AL.com, "12 takeaways from Sloss Fest 2017 in Birmingham," 18 July 2017
That compares with 275 deployable battle force ships presently in the U.S. Navy, China’s primary rival in the Asia Pacific, although the once-yawning gap between the two is narrowing rapidly.

— christopher bodeen, The Seattle Times, "China’s navy puts latest-generation destroyer in the water," 27 June 2017
There's also a yawning gap between people who need help and available health services — the federal government estimated that in 2015 only 20 percent of some 2.4 million Americans with an opioid-use disorder got treatment.

— sarah gantz, baltimoresun.com, "Emocha Mobile Health expands to opioid addiction treatment," 24 June 2017
Soon after, a yawning gap opened between the two franchises.

— tom krasovic, sandiegouniontribune.com, "AFC West shocker: Chiefs and John Dorsey part ways," 22 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'yawn.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of yawn

Middle English yenen, yanen, from Old English ginian; akin to Old High German ginēn to yawn, Latin hiare, Greek chainein

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

yawn

noun

Definition of yawn

1 :gap, cavity

2 :an opening of the mouth wide while taking a deep breath often as an involuntary reaction to fatigue or boredom; also :a reaction resembling a yawn

a … success at the box office but drew only yawns from critics
—Current Biography

3 :⁵bore

this book is kind of a yawn
—Ilene L. Cooper

See yawn defined for English-language learners

Examples of yawn in a Sentence

I tried to stifle a yawn.
as neither candidate was willing to make an unequivocal statement about anything, the debate proved to be a complete yawn

Recent Examples of yawn from the Web

Bad seasons make cynics of us all, so when the Reds announced Friday that starting pitcher Tyler Mahle would make his big-league debut on Sunday, the yawn was collective.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Doc: Another young arm joins the ‘Figuring It Out’ gang," 27 Aug. 2017
OLYMPIA — Capital construction budgets and water-policy legislation sometimes draw yawns in the political world.

— joseph o’sullivan, The Seattle Times, "Olympia in deadlock as lawmakers battle over water rights, construction," 16 July 2017
The last men's major there, though, the 2003 U.S. Open, elicited shrugs and yawns — and scorn from some national writers.

— teddy greenstein, chicagotribune.com, "What's next for Olympia Fields? Perhaps a BMW or PGA Championship," 2 July 2017
These are 21 abnormal occurrences in our politics that now elicit no more than a yawn from millions of Americans.

— OregonLive.com, "21 signs that authoritarianism is the new normal in Donald Trump's America: Commentary," 28 June 2017
Yet when the two go on a carriage ride through the historic town of Bluffton, South Carolina, even the horse has to stifle a yawn.

— melissa locker, Time, "The Bachelorette Recap: Hot Tubs and Handball in the Norwegian Wood," 26 June 2017
President Trump might be encouraged that Republicans in Congress have reacted with a yawn to these suggestions about Trump possibly firing Mueller.

— douglas perry, OregonLive.com, "Hints that Donald Trump might fire the special counsel raise questions about his motives: commentary," 13 June 2017
But as the White House tried to tell a number of reporters, only to be met by a collective yawn, the New York senator had confused the official statistics.

— howard kurtz, Fox News, "Media pounce on White House for nomination delays but miss glaring error by Schumer," 8 June 2017
Landrieu is one of the few big city mayors to crusade on the poverty and gun culture taking young black lives -- an issue that draws yawns from the GOP in Congress, yoked to the National Rifle Association.

— guest columnist, NOLA.com, "Mitch Landrieu and the burden of history: Opinion," 19 May 2017

First Known Use of yawn

1602

yawn Synonyms

Synonyms

bore, drip, droner, dullsville, nudnik (also nudnick), snooze, snoozer, drag, yawner

Related Words

bummer, downer; bromide, pill

Near Antonyms

blast, gas [slang], kick, rush, upper

YAWN Defined for English Language Learners

yawn

play

verb

Definition of yawn for English Language Learners

: to open your mouth wide while taking in breath usually because you are tired or bored
of an opening, hole, etc. : to be deep, large, etc.

yawn

noun

Definition of yawn for English Language Learners

: an act of opening your mouth wide while taking in breath : an act of yawning
: something that is very boring

YAWN Defined for Kids

yawn

play

verb \ ˈyȯn \

Definition of yawn for Students

yawned; yawning

1 :to open the mouth wide and take a deep breath usually as an involuntary reaction to being tired or bored

2 :to open wide

A pit yawned below.

yawn

noun

Definition of yawn for Students

:an opening of the mouth while taking a deep breath usually as an involuntary reaction to being tired or bored

Medical Dictionary

yawn

play

intransitive verb \ ˈyȯn, ˈyän \

medical Definition of yawn

:to open the mouth wide and take a deep breath usually as an involuntary reaction to fatigue or boredom

yawn

noun

medical Definition of yawn

:an opening of the mouth wide while taking a deep breath often as an involuntary reaction to fatigue or boredom

Learn More about yawn

See words that rhyme with yawn Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for yawn Spanish Central: Translation of yawn Nglish: Translation of yawn for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of yawn for Arabic speakers

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Examples of yawn in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of yawn

yawn

Definition of yawn

Examples of yawn in a Sentence

Recent Examples of yawn from the Web

First Known Use of yawn

yawn Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

YAWN Defined for English Language Learners

yawn

Definition of yawn for English Language Learners

yawn

Definition of yawn for English Language Learners

YAWN Defined for Kids

yawn

Definition of yawn for Students

yawn

Definition of yawn for Students

Medical Dictionary

yawn

medical Definition of yawn

yawn

medical Definition of yawn

Learn More about yawn

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