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Yawning, adj.

Pronunciation: ‘yôniNG

Meaning: Admittedly, when referring to the reflex action of opening the mouth wide and inhaling deeply due to feelings of fatigue associated with sleepiness, the word is a noun. But the word can also be used as an adjective, which is my focus at this time. Thus, in this context, yawning demotes a rather large or wide opening or space, such as a yawning chasm, or a yawning gap.

Usage:

• “My headlights picked out what seemed to be a yawning chasm in the middle of the bridge.”
• “The yawning entrance to the cave looked too dark and foreboding to enter.”
• “Between the two mountain peaks stretched a yawning crevasse, deep and formidable, as though the earth itself had split apart.”