YAWNING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does yawning mean? 

• YAWNING (noun)
  The noun YAWNING has 1 sense:

1. an involuntary intake of breath through a wide open mouth; usually triggered by fatigue or boredom

  Familiarity information: YAWNING used as a noun is very rare.

• YAWNING (adjective)
  The adjective YAWNING has 3 senses:

1. gaping open as if threatening to engulf someone or something

2. with the mouth wide open indicating boredom or sleepiness

3. showing lack of attention or boredom

  Familiarity information: YAWNING used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• YAWNING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An involuntary intake of breath through a wide open mouth; usually triggered by fatigue or boredom

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

oscitance; oscitancy; yawn; yawning

Context example:

he apologized for his oscitancy

Hypernyms ("yawning" is a kind of...):

inborn reflex; innate reflex; instinctive reflex; physiological reaction; reflex; reflex action; reflex response; unconditioned reflex (an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "yawning"):

pandiculation (yawning and stretching (as when first waking up))

Derivation:

yawn (utter a yawn, as from lack of oxygen or when one is tired)

• YAWNING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Gaping open as if threatening to engulf someone or something

Context example:

a yawning abyss

Similar:

open (affording free passage or access)

Sense 2

Meaning:

With the mouth wide open indicating boredom or sleepiness

Context example:

a yawning congregation

Similar:

open; opened (used of mouth or eyes)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Showing lack of attention or boredom

Synonyms:

drowsy; oscitant; yawning

Context example:

the yawning congregation

Similar:

inattentive (showing a lack of attention or care)

 Context examples 

"I ran as fast as I could," he said, sitting down and yawning, "but the flowers were too strong for me. How did you get me out?"

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

And it's not just humans who have a propensity for contagious yawning -chimpanzees and dogs do it too.

(Why Is Yawning so Contagious?, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A yawning hole was all that was to be seen.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

"Did the spider accept the old fellow's invitation?" asked Laurie, yawning.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

“You haven't got a sister, have you?” said Steerforth, yawning.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

It is closed at rest and opens during swallowing, sneezing, and yawning.

(Murine Eustachian Tube, NCI Thesaurus)

“It saved me from ennui,” he answered, yawning.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But the man never turned, and, after stretching his arms above his head and yawning audibly, he retraced his steps to the forecastle scuttle and disappeared.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Treatments for ear barotrauma include chewing gum and yawning to relieve the pressure.

(Barotrauma, NIH)

It is functionally collapsed at rest, with slight negative pressure present in the middle ear, and opens during swallowing, sneezing, and yawning.

(Eustachian Tube, NCI Thesaurus)