Mewing is pressing your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth in the hope of improving your jawline and face shape. Merriam-Webster notes the practice hasn't been found to be effective. It's named after British orthodontists John and Mike Mew. Since 2024 it's also a classroom joke: a finger to the lips and a finger along the jaw to avoid answering.
If a teenager has gone silent, put a finger to their lips and run another along their jaw, they're probably not ill. They're mewing. The word covers a beauty trend, a meme and a joke that annoys teachers. Here's what each one means, where the word came from and what the evidence says.
Mewing, the technique
Dictionary.com calls mewing slang for the viral technique of pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth in an effort to contour the jawline and enhance facial structure. Wiktionary describes it as flattening your tongue against the roof of the mouth with the aim of improving jaw and facial structure.
Merriam-Webster adds an important qualifier. It describes the practice as placing one's tongue against the roof of the mouth to supposedly improve the structure and attractiveness of the jaw and face, and says it's a practice that has not been found to be effective. That's the dictionary saying, politely, that the claims are overblown.
Where the word comes from
It's named after a family. Wiktionary says mewing is named after British orthodontists John Mew and his son Michael Mew. Dictionary.com says John Mew developed the technique in the 1970s as part of 'orthotropics', an alternative to orthodontics focused on improving jaw posture in children, and that the UK's General Dental Council eventually revoked his licence.
Dictionary.com says John Mew didn't coin the word mewing. His methods were popularised through YouTube videos uploaded by his son, fellow orthodontist Mike Mew, in the 2010s, and the term emerged online as a reference to the family name. Merriam-Webster describes the Mews as controversial British orthodontists who have promoted discredited methods. Wiktionary cites a Guardian article from 21 March 2019 by Dream McClinton asking what the YouTube craze that claims to reshape your face was.
What experts say
The short version: don't expect results. Dictionary.com says orthodontic experts have denied claims that mewing has any effect on a person's jawline shape. Merriam-Webster quotes Dr Scott Cardall in Everyday Health in June 2024 saying it's doubtful that mewing in any amount could produce the types of results popularly claimed, such as a significantly different jawline.
If your child is worried about their face shape, that worry is the thing to talk about, not the technique. And if there's a real concern about bite or jaw development, a dentist or orthodontist is the right person to ask, not a video.
The classroom gesture that made it famous
Most adults met mewing through a joke, not a tutorial. Merriam-Webster says mewing went viral in spring 2024 after it became part of a joke students reportedly played in school. When a teacher called on them, they'd refuse to reply by placing an index finger over their lips, as if shushing, and tracing another finger along their jawline. The gesture means 'I can't talk, I'm mewing'.
Merriam-Webster quotes a post from August 2024 joking that mewing is what kids do to show off their jawline and tell their teachers to shut up at the same time. Dictionary.com quotes a TikTok from July 2024 that just says 'Shhhhhh mewing'. For teachers, it's mostly harmless cheek, but it's dismissive by design, which is why it grates.
Mewing and looksmaxxing
Mewing belongs to a bigger, more worrying world. Dictionary.com says the practice is part of a controversial online subculture known as looksmaxxing, largely made up of young men who promote sometimes extreme methods of enhancing their appearance. It says the practice was picked up by online incel communities, and that popular looksmaxxers promote mewing on YouTube and in livestreams.
Merriam-Webster notes the word is used in tutorials and testimonials, in jest and parody, and in serious discussions about the impact of digital culture on the wellbeing of young men. If you've heard your child talk about mogging or being a sigma, they're in the same corner of the internet.
Mewing vs a cat's mew
The two have nothing in common. Wiktionary lists the older mewing as onomatopoeic: the act of producing a mew sound, with the example 'The mewings of the three kittens kept us awake for most of the night.' Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com both point out that the jawline mewing is unrelated to the high-pitched sound a cat or bird makes. Context will always tell you which one you've got.
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| You hear | It means |
|---|---|
| 'The kitten was mewing at the door' | Making a small cat sound |
| 'He's been mewing for months' | Doing the tongue posture technique |
| A finger to the lips, a finger on the jaw | The classroom joke: 'can't talk, mewing' |
| 'Silently mewing just in case it works' | Self-aware, jokey use |
Texting shorthand keeps growing, and our guide to tea covers one more you may see.
How to talk to a teenager about mewing
Start with curiosity. Ask whether they're doing it as a joke or because they want to change how they look. If it's the joke, it'll pass, like skibidi did. If it's about appearance, it's worth gently explaining that the experts quoted by the dictionaries say it doesn't do what the videos claim, and that the people promoting it often have something to sell.
Dictionary.com quotes an Instagram post from February 2024 that captures the mood well: a shoutout to everyone silently mewing just in case it works. That mix of hope and irony is the heart of the trend. It's often harmless, sometimes a sign that a young person feels pressure about their looks, and always worth a calm conversation.
For the meaning, the history and when to use it, see the coded meaning page.
Frequently asked questions
What does mewing mean?
It's pressing your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth to try to improve your jawline and face shape.
Does mewing work?
Merriam-Webster says it hasn't been found to be effective, and Dictionary.com says orthodontic experts have denied its claims.
Who invented mewing?
It's named after British orthodontists John and Mike Mew. Dictionary.com says John Mew developed the technique in the 1970s.
What is the mewing hand gesture?
A finger over the lips and another traced along the jaw, used to avoid answering a teacher.
When did mewing go viral?
Merriam-Webster says it went viral in spring 2024 as a joke in schools.
Is mewing related to cats?
No. The jawline mewing is unrelated to the sound a cat makes.
