yawning
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Indicating boredom, sleepiness, or inattention: Used to describe someone or something that shows a lack of attention, interest, or alertness, often associated with the physical act of yawning.
- With the mouth wide open: Describing a person or creature with their mouth opened wide, typically in the act of yawning.
- Wide and deep; gaping: Describing something that is opened very wide, often in a way that seems deep, vast, or threatening.
Noun:
- The act of yawning: An involuntary, deep inhalation of breath through a wide-open mouth, often triggered by tiredness, boredom, or a need for oxygen.
Examples of Usage
Adjective:
- The lecturer tried to ignore the yawning students in the front row.
- A yawning chasm separated the two cliffs.
- He gave a yawning stretch after waking up.
Noun:
- She tried to hide a yawning behind her hand during the meeting.
- A contagious yawning spread through the room.
Advanced Usage
- "A yawning gap/divide/chasm": Used metaphorically to describe a very large and significant difference or separation between two things (e.g., ideas, social classes, amounts).
- There is a yawning gap between the rich and the poor in that country.
- "A yawning silence": A prolonged, deep, and noticeable silence.
- After his controversial statement, a yawning silence fell over the crowd.
Variants and Related Words
- Yawn (verb/noun): The base form. To open the mouth wide and inhale deeply; the act itself.
- Verb: I always yawn when I'm bored.
- Noun: He let out a loud yawn.
- Yawner (noun, informal): Something that is extremely boring.
- That three-hour lecture was a real yawner.
Synonyms
- Adjective (for boredom): Bored, inattentive, drowsy, sleepy.
- Adjective (for wide open): Gaping, vast, cavernous, wide.
- Noun: Oscitancy (formal).
Related Phrases
- To stifle/suppress a yawn: To try to stop a yawn from being visible or audible.
- She stifled a yawn during the long presentation.
- A contagious yawn: A yawn that is triggered by seeing, hearing, or thinking about someone else yawning.
- Just reading about a contagious yawn might make you want to do it.
Adjective
- showing lack of attention or boredom
- the yawning congregation
- with the mouth wide open indicating boredom or sleepiness
- a yawning congregation
- gaping open as if threatening to engulf someone or something
- the yawning mine shaft
- a yawning abyss
Noun
- 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