yawned; yawning; yawns
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
1
: to utter with a yawn
2
: to accomplish with or impel by yawns
his grandchildren yawned him to bed—
L. L. King
L. L. King2
: 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
Current Biography 3
: bore entry 5
this book is kind of a yawn—Ilene L. Cooper
Ilene L. CooperExamples 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
Jay Stahl, USA Today, 23 May 2025
When the bunny begins to yawn, his head moves back and forth, calming little ones with its gentle motion.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 22 May 2025
Pamela Brill, Parents, 22 May 2025
This is where the gulf between a life in business deals and one steeped in geopolitical negotiation yawns desperately.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yawn
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Verb
Combs briefly looked at the car photos shown to the jury and even appeared to yawn at one point.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 23 May 2025
When the bunny begins to yawn, his head moves back and forth, calming little ones with its gentle motion.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 22 May 2025
Noun
Choose from five sound choices for up to 30 minutes of continuous comfort, from music with yawns and snores to deep breathing and nature sounds.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 22 May 2025
This is where the gulf between a life in business deals and one steeped in geopolitical negotiation yawns desperately.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yawn
Cite this Entry
“Yawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yawn. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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
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