Yawn

Pronunciation: /jɔːn/

Definitions of yawn

noun a reflex act of opening one's mouth wide and inhaling deeply due to tiredness or boredom

Example Sentences

A1 I saw a big yawn from my cat.

A2 After a long day at work, a yawn escaped from her mouth.

B1 The meeting was so boring that I couldn't stop yawning.

B2 She tried to stifle a yawn during the important presentation.

C1 His yawn was contagious, causing everyone in the room to start yawning.

C2 The professor's yawn indicated his lack of interest in the student's presentation.

Examples of yawn in a Sentence

formal She tried to stifle a yawn during the boring presentation.

informal I can't stop yawning, I must be really tired.

slang That movie was a total yawn fest.

figurative The lack of innovation in the industry is making investors yawn.

Grammatical Forms of yawn

• past tense: yawned
• plural: yawns
• comparative: more yawny
• superlative: most yawny
• present tense: yawn
• future tense: will yawn
• perfect tense: have yawned
• continuous tense: is yawning
• singular: yawn
• positive degree: yawn
• infinitive: to yawn
• gerund: yawning
• participle: yawned

Origin and Evolution of yawn

First Known Use: 1000 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'yawn' is believed to have originated from Middle English 'yanen' or 'yenen', which can be traced back to Old English 'ginian' meaning to 'open the mouth wide and take a deep breath'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'yawn' has retained its original meaning of opening the mouth wide and taking a deep breath, but it has also come to symbolize boredom, tiredness, or lack of interest in various contexts.