# yawning

Pronunciation: say "YAW-ning" /ˈjɔnɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of yawn. — present participle and gerund of yawn
   - Simple: Present participle and gerund of yawn. Use it for the action happening now or as the name of the action.
   - _He couldn't stop yawning during the afternoon lecture._
   - _Yawning repeatedly, the driver pulled over to rest for a while._

## Adjective

2. Of a gap, hole, or opening: extremely wide and deep.
   - Simple: Open very wide and deep, like a big hole or gap.
   - _The earthquake left a yawning crack running across the highway._
   - _Below the ridge stretched a yawning ravine that no one dared cross._
4. Of a person or creature: in the act of opening the mouth wide and drawing a deep breath.
   - Simple: Opening the mouth wide and breathing in deeply, the way a tired or bored person does.
   - _A yawning lion stretched out lazily in the afternoon sun._
   - _The yawning students could barely keep their eyes open by midnight._

## Noun

3. The act of opening the mouth wide while drawing a deep breath, typically brought on by tiredness or boredom.
   - Simple: The act of opening your mouth wide and breathing in, often when tired or bored.
   - _A wave of yawning passed through the audience as the lecture dragged on._
   - _The doctor explained that yawning helps regulate the temperature of the brain._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/yawning (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).