Yawn (Noun)

Meaning

An involuntary intake of breath through a wide open mouth; usually triggered by fatigue or boredom; "he could not suppress a yawn"; "the yawning in the audience told him it was time to stop"; "he apologized for his oscitancy".

Classification

Nouns denoting acts or actions.

Examples

• She stifled a yawn and continued to listen to her professor's lecture.
• His yawn was a clear indication that the movie was not holding his attention.
• The room was filled with yawns as the conference speaker droned on for hours.
• After pulling an all-nighter, a yawn was all she could manage before collapsing onto her bed.
• The comedian sensed the collective yawn of the audience and quickly wrapped up his set.

Synonyms

• Yawning
• Oscitancy
• Oscitance

Hypernyms

• Reflex Action
• Instinctive Reflex
• Physiological Reaction
• Innate Reflex
• Inborn Reflex
• Unconditioned Reflex
• Reflex Response

Related Words

• Yawn (verb)