yawn

1 of 2

verb

ˈyȯn How to pronounce yawn (audio)
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 bedL. 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 yawnIlene L. Cooper

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
The problem is that generic customer wins leave buyers yawning. Renae Gregoire, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 Nearby a flat boulder cloaked in the shade of the yawning oak trees was dimpled with grinding holes created by nameless Native Americans, decades, or even centuries, ago. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2024 The music of folklore takes its time to unfurl, ivory keys yawning at dusk, acoustic strings waking at daybreak. Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 6 Feb. 2024 Love it, hate it or yawn at it, Minnesota is set to get a new state flag this spring that echoes its motto of being the North Star State, replacing an old flag that brought up painful memories of conquest and displacement for Native Americans. Steve Karnowski, Twin Cities, 3 Jan. 2024 In May 2023, the little prince went viral for a photo that captured him yawning during his grandfather King Charles' coronation. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 8 Dec. 2023 At California campuses this week, the already yawning gulf between students supporting Israelis or Palestinians widened. Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2023 In May 2023, the young royal went viral for a photo that captured him yawning during his grandfather King Charles' coronation, and photos of Louis covering his ears during a noisy flypast at Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee also made the internet rounds. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 12 Dec. 2023 In psychology, this is called the know-do gap—an often yawning fracture between what is known and what is practiced. Kyra Bobinet, Md, Mph, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Noun
So, a yawn makes sense since Embodied, Inc. has been trying to make Moxie as life-like as possible to serve as a companion for kids. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 This one change transformed the dish from yawn to yum. Nancy Baggett, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Indeed, such an assertion would have drawn more yawns than offense in South Carolina, or any of the other states that joined the Confederacy over 160 years ago. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 1 Jan. 2024 Emotionally, the opposite of an orgasm may be a yawn. Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2024 But the big day meant an early start — and a few stray yawns from the little royal throughout the ceremony. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 6 May 2023 Adam Wainwright logged his 200th victory Monday and was widely celebrated for reaching a milestone that would have elicited yawns years ago. Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023 But in a relatable moment, Prince Louis was caught on camera letting out a big yawn. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023 When a yawn isn't triggered by someone else's, it's called a spontaneous yawn. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 9 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'yawn.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of yawn was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near yawn

Cite this Entry

“Yawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yawn. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

yawn

1 of 2 verb
ˈyȯn How to pronounce yawn (audio)
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
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on yawn

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