yawn

[ yawn ]

verb (used without object)

1. to open the mouth somewhat involuntarily with a prolonged, deep inhalation and sighing or heavy exhalation, as from drowsiness or boredom.

   Synonyms: gape

2. to open wide like a mouth.

   Synonyms: gape

3. to extend or stretch wide, as an open and deep space.

   Synonyms: gape

verb (used with object)

1. to say with a yawn.
2. Archaic. to open wide, or lay open, as if by yawning.

noun

1. an act or instance of yawning.
2. an opening; open space; chasm.
3. Also Informal. something so boring as to make one yawn:

   Critics say the new fashions are one big yawn.

yawn

/ jɔːn /

verb

1. intr to open the mouth wide and take in air deeply, often as in involuntary reaction to tiredness, sleepiness, or boredom
2. tr to express or utter while yawning
3. intr to be open wide as if threatening to engulf (someone or something)

   the mine shaft yawned below

noun

1. the act or an instance of yawning

Derived Forms

• ˈyawner, noun
• ˈyawning, adjective
• ˈyawningly, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of yawn¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English verb yanen, yonen, alteration of yenen, Old English ge(o)nian; akin to Old English gānian, ginan, Old Norse gīna, German gähnen, Latin hiāre “to be wide open, gape,” Greek chaínein “to gape”; hiatus, dehisce ( def ), chasm

Word History and Origins

Origin of yawn¹

Old English gionian; related to Old Saxon ginōn, Old High German ginēn to yawn, Old Norse gjā gap

Example Sentences

The team found that lions that saw another member of the pride yawn were about 139 times as likely to yawn themselves within the next three minutes.

From Science News

Seeing the lions yawn reminded Palagi of her own work on contagious yawning in primates.

From Science News

Watch a group of lions yawn, and it may seem like nothing more than big, lazy cats acting sleepy, but new research suggests that these yawns may be subtly communicating some important social cues.

From Science News

So, a yawn could be a good way for an individual in a social species to communicate to group mates that it is experiencing some kind of internal change.

From Science News

That yawn is the greatest compliment an inventor can receive.

From Quartz

The arcane pair of paragraphs are packed with the sort of yawn-provoking polysyllables that only a lawyer could love.

From The Daily Beast

Civil libertarians are outraged, but elsewhere the news was met with a collective yawn.

From The Daily Beast

My greatest fear is that we will find out they are spying on us, and the American public will yawn.

From The Daily Beast

He would read her his poetry, and she would stretch and yawn like a cat.

From The Daily Beast

But so far, the markets have pretty much offered a big yawn.

From The Daily Beast

He was about to stretch himself and give vent to a noisy yawn when the word “Laidlaw” smote his ear.

From Project Gutenberg

Men yawn and cough, chairs and beds are noisily moved about, heavy feet pace stone floors.

From Project Gutenberg

He disliked the audible yawn with which Cash manifested his return from the deathlike unconsciousness of sleep.

From Project Gutenberg

He insisted upon sending for the doctor, who came, striving not to yawn, but to look pleased.

From Project Gutenberg

We sometimes yawn, and ask, just by way of conversation, Whether Spain will joyn?

From Project Gutenberg