mewing
/MYOO-ing/noun · verb
Meaning
An informal internet term for holding the tongue against the roof of the mouth, usually with the lips closed, in the belief that the posture can define the jawline or alter facial structure. Online, mewing can also refer humorously to posing with the mouth closed or refusing to speak so the posture is not interrupted.[1][2][3][4]
- 1. A tongue-posture technique promoted as a way to improve the jawline, facial profile, or other aspects of appearance.
- 2. The broader practice of maintaining a particular resting position for the tongue as part of the orthotropics movement associated with John and Mike Mew.
- 3. A joking online pose or bit in which someone keeps their mouth shut and gestures instead of answering aloud.
Examples
“Bro is mewing through the entire group project.”
“I tried mewing for five minutes and forgot how to swallow normally.”
“The selfie looked better because of the angle, not the mewing.”
“Stop mewing and tell us what happened.”
“Her caption said: mewing until the jawline loads.”
Origin and spread
Mewing is formed from the surname of British orthodontist John Mew and his son Mike Mew, whose orthotropics work emphasized tongue posture and facial growth. The modern slang term appears to have emerged organically on online message boards rather than being formally coined by the Mews. It was circulating in appearance-focused internet communities by around 2015 and had clear mainstream documentation by March 2019, when The Guardian described it as a YouTube beauty craze. The trend later spread through looksmaxxing communities, TikTok, classroom jokes, and short-form videos. Orthodontic organizations have disputed the claim that tongue posture alone can reshape an adult face and have warned that forceful or unsupervised practice may cause dental or bite problems.[1][5]
How to use it
Mewing is informal and often playful, especially when used in captions, comments, or classroom jokes. In appearance-focused contexts, it can carry looksmaxxing or male-grooming associations. Use the term carefully when discussing health: ordinary tongue posture and clinically supervised oral therapy are not the same as the online claim that pressing the tongue upward will dramatically remodel the jaw.
Sources
- 1. The Guardian — Mewing: what is the YouTube craze that claims to reshape your face?Supports: meaning, origin.
- 2. The Guardian — From bone smashing to chin extensions: how ‘looksmaxxing’ is reshaping young men’s facesSupports: meaning.
- 3. American Association of Orthodontists — What is Mewing, and Does it Work?Supports: meaning.
- 4. Cleveland Clinic — Mewing: What It Is, How To Do It and ResultsSupports: meaning.
- 5. Mewing By Mike Mew — Normal Tongue PostureSupports: origin.
