yawn

1 of 2

verb

ˈyȯn 

ˈyän

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.

—Larry L. King

yawn

2 of 2

noun

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

: bore entry 5

… this book is kind of a yawn.

—Ilene L. Cooper

Synonyms of yawn

Noun

• bore
• drip

Examples of yawn in a Sentence

Verb

Students were yawning in class.

Noun

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 on the Web

Verb

In his Friday testimony, Ye yawned, closed his eyes for long stretches, and at times seemed to catch his head falling forward as if dozing while seated on the witness stand. —Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026

The plot is thin, the songs aren’t particularly catchy, and even the stunt casting of Paris Hilton isn’t enough to keep you from yawning. —Rachel Simon, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026

Noun

More than 27,000 racers rose before dawn this morning to yawn, stretch and don their gear to take on the iconic streets of Los Angeles today during the 2026 ASICS Los Angeles Marathon. —Michelle Edgar, Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026

With that indelible Southern gift for pulling new lingo from thin air, the duo deploy yawns that stretch like bungee over Zaytoven-type keys. —Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for yawn

• aune
• bon
• bonne
• brawn
• chon
• con
• conn
• crohn
• dawn
• drawn
• fawn
• gone

Kids Definition

yawn

1 of 2 verb

ˈyȯn 

ˈyän

1

: to open wide : gape

2

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

yawner noun

yawn

2 of 2 noun

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

Medical Definition

yawn

1 of 2 intransitive verb

ˈyȯn, ˈyän 

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

yawn

2 of 2 noun

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