yawning

American  

[yaw-ning] / ˈyɔ nɪŋ /

adjective

1. being or standing wide open; gaping.

   the yawning mouth of a cave.

2. indicating by yawns one's weariness or indifference.

   The lecturer was oblivious to his yawning audience.

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Other Word Forms

• yawningly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of yawning

before 900; Middle English; Old English geniendum. See yawn, -ing ²

Explanation

Yawning is what happens when you reflexively open your mouth wide, inhale, and exhale again. Most yawning is caused by sleepiness or extreme boredom. Use the word yawning for actual yawning — or to mean "wide open." A yawning chasm in the ground is a huge, wide gap, and a yawning hole in a movie's plot is the obvious space where some details are missing, making the resulting story seem unlikely and unbelievable. A yawning child, on the other hand, is probably just ready for her nap.

Example Sentences

Following more than 20 hours of talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, US Vice President JD Vance admitted the yawning differences between the US and Iran proved to be insurmountable for the moment.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

The most yawning gap in prices is between oil that used to flow out of the Gulf and different kinds of crude from farther afield.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

And while the money did close some of the early, yawning deficit Cornyn was facing against Paxton in preliminary polling, it hardly has put his opponents away.

From Slate • Mar. 2, 2026

Several men on the jury looked away, one yawning.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

Jeanne stepped out into the yard just as her father appeared around the corner of the house, yawning and wiping his face, his hairy belly peeking out from under his shirt.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

Related Words

• broad
• buried
• deep-seated
• far
• profound
• rooted
• wide