yawning

adjective

yawn·ing | \ ˈyȯ-niŋ

How to pronounce yawning (audio)

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Definition of yawning

1 : wide open : cavernous a yawning hole yawning gaps in the plot

2 : showing fatigue or boredom by yawns a yawning audience

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Examples of yawning in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There were other Kirby efforts over the years that sold more poorly or were met with more critical derision, but none had such a yawning and humiliating gap between ambition and reality. — Abraham Riesman, Vulture, "The King’s Gambit," 18 Mar. 2021 First the city manager, then the police chief, departed amid withering criticism and a yawning budget deficit. — Los Angeles Times, "Santa Monica politics upended by pandemic, George Floyd protests and economic woes," 20 Dec. 2020 The yawning atrium at the University of Florida Health Jacksonville hospital is being turned into a vaccination site. — Washington Post, "With a coronavirus vaccine authorized, hospitals scramble to determine when it will arrive and who gets it first," 12 Dec. 2020 Her third-quarter performance nearly closed what had been a yawning fundraising gap. — Robert T. Garrett, Dallas News, "Democratic super PAC launches $8.6 million ad push for MJ Hegar, dwarfing GOP group’s ad buy for John Cornyn," 15 Oct. 2020 The title a season ago came by a mountainous and laughably easy 21 games over the Diamondbacks, the most yawning gap in all of baseball. — Bryce Miller Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Tug of war with Dodgers shows Padres plan to put up fight in 2020," 4 Aug. 2020

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

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Last Updated

20 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Yawning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yawning. Accessed 18 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for yawning

yawning

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of yawning

: very large or wide open

See the full definition for yawning in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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