What does mewing mean?
Mewing is the practice of consciously placing the tongue against the roof of the mouth and maintaining that position, sometimes as part of a wider routine involving posture, lip position, and jaw alignment. Supporters often promote it as a way to influence facial development during adolescence, and online tutorials have introduced it to large audiences through videos, forums, and social-media posts. The term became especially associated with the practice promoted by John Mew. Although mewing is easy to describe, its most prominent claims are controversial: there is not strong clinical evidence that the practice can permanently alter facial structure in the way its supporters often suggest. It should therefore be distinguished from professionally supervised orthodontic or dental treatment. For general readers, mewing is best understood as a contemporary internet practice and cultural phenomenon rather than an established medical technique.
nounMewing is the practice of deliberately holding the tongue against the roof of the mouth, usually as part of a proposed posture routine for facial development. The term is chiefly associated with online communities and is not an established medical treatment.
- The practice of consciously positioning the tongue against the roof of the mouth, often as part of a broader routine promoted for improving facial development or appearance.
"He watched several videos about mewing before deciding whether to try it himself."
"The clinic warned that the claims associated with mewing were not supported by strong clinical evidence."
"A video documenting a month of mewing prompted a heated discussion among commenters."
Usually used as an uncountable noun; the plural “mewings” is rare and may refer to separate instances or versions of the practice.
"The article compares several mewings, although most speakers normally use “mewing” as an uncountable noun."
Mewing turned the word “mew”—a cat's sound—into a viral instruction for where to park your tongue.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mewing come from?
The word is a neologism associated with John Mew, who developed and promoted the practice in the early 2010s. It appears to combine the imitative cat vocalization “mew” or “meow” with the gerund suffix “-ing.” The related words “mew,” “meow,” and “miaow” all imitate the sound made by a cat rather than belonging to a shared historical root.
How mewing is actually used
The term is mainly used on social media and in online self-improvement communities. It is not a standard clinical term, and claims that it can produce permanent changes in facial structure remain unproven.
Easily confused with mewing
Mewing refers to a tongue-posture practice, whereas meowing ordinarily means making the vocal sound associated with a cat.