yawn

verb \ ˈyȯn , ˈyän \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Examples: yawn in a Sentence

Definition of yawn

yawned; yawning; yawns

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

Only one of Timberlake’s Instagram pictures, from April 2015, shows off a young Silas yawning while being held by Biel.

— heran mamo, Billboard, "Every Photo Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel Have Shared of Son Silas," 6 July 2018
Every other moment a new quandary yawns open, but, frustratingly, there's a void at the center of Banno's approach to the play.

— daryl h. miller, latimes.com, "Wearing a 'Red Speedo,' Lucas Hnath goes swimming with sharks," 18 May 2018
The Magnolia Market founder also shared two videos of baby Crew yawning and gazing at his family while older brothers Drake, 13, and Duke, 9, play wiffle ball in their backyard under outdoor lights strung through their pecan trees.

— jessica leigh mattern, Country Living, "Joanna Gaines Just Shared New Photo of Baby Crew With His Sisters and Our Hearts Can’t Take It," 3 July 2018
But the real black swan is Germany and the prospect of a yawning vacuum in the 28-nation bloc.

— alan crawford, Bloomberg.com, "As Merkel’s Power Drains, the Threat to Europe Grows," 27 June 2018
Why is there a yawning gap between end-century projections and what happened in Earth’s past?

— howard lee, Ars Technica, "What happened last time it was as warm as it’s going to get later this century?," 18 June 2018
Jonathan Marcus on the yawning gap between simplistic and simplified.

— OregonLive.com, "Women's title is up for grabs as NCAA meet begins at Hayward: Oregon track & field rundown," 5 June 2018
Pretty early in the world-premiere musical Big Red Sun, staged by the 11th Hour Theatre Company at the Christ Church Neighborhood House through June 17, the cracks in that story begin to seem like yawning chasms.

— julia m. klein, Philly.com, "'Big Red Sun': Search through history and music for truth about father, self," 5 June 2018
While fans of the Texas Rangers await the return of Adrian Beltre from the 10-day disabled list, most might yawn or cringe at the DL news from Wednesday.

— jeff wilson, star-telegram, "The search for a fix continues for self-described work-in-progress Moore," 30 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

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

But the media, of course, didn't report, barely yawn.

— Fox News, "Questions remain after Wray and Horowitz testify," 19 June 2018
The Enquirer/Bobby Nightengale (Photo: Sam Greene) Oh, yawn.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Morning Line: Enjoy the fun being produced by the Cincinnati Reds lineup," 3 July 2018
My forays into the abyss of retail seemed to happen without my noticing, like the onset of a yawn.

— hayley phelan, WSJ, "Lessons From a Six-Month Shopping Detox," 26 June 2018
As soon as that yawn is over, then my voice is back to a struggle.

— sandee lamotte, CNN, "The radio man without a voice," 15 June 2018
Make sure to pack a piece of chewing gum before you board, or yawn to relieve ear pressure.

— cincinnati enquirer, Cincinnati.com, "What can I bring in a carry-on bag? And other travel tips from Delta and TSA," 15 June 2018
This is the jaw-dropping moment that a sleepy fisherman has a stretch and a yawn — oblivious to the giant whale shark swimming next to his canoe.

— yasmin harisha, Fox News, "Photographer captures whale shark swimming beneath sleepy fisherman," 20 June 2018
His statements were greeted by the sports world, black America and even Ali’s former lawyer with a collective yawn.

— alex clark, The Root, "Trump’s Pardon of Muhammad Ali Would Mean Nothing," 8 June 2018
Anisha Rao, 12, from Dublin, Calif., left, and Nidhi Vadlamudi, 12, from Santa Clara, Calif., yawn and stretch during a break at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., on Thursday morning, May 31, 2018.

— steve rubenstein, San Francisco Chronicle, "12-year-old Dublin girl makes finals in National Spelling Bee," 31 May 2018

First Known Use of yawn

1602

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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yawn Synonyms

YAWN Defined for English Language Learners

yawn

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

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

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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yawn

Definition of yawn

Examples of yawn in a Sentence

Recent Examples of yawn from the Web

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

Near Antonyms

Related Words

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

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