mewing
/ˈmjuːɪŋ/
Very CommonA tongue posture technique claimed to improve jawline definition, now also a meme.
Exists in a strange space between sincere belief and ironic humor. Some people genuinely practice it for looks. Others use it purely as a meme. Many do both.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | been mewing for 6 months and my jawline is crazy now. or maybe i just lost weight idk. | Someone credits mewing for appearance changes that might have other causes. | tiktok, 2024 |
| 02 | caught my kid mewing in every single photo. he's 11. | A child is consistently doing the mewing pose because it's trendy online. | x, 2024 |
| 03 | teacher asked why i wasn't talking and i said i'm holding my mew | Using mewing as a humorous excuse for being quiet in class. | reddit, 2024 |
| 04 | mewing is just closing your mouth with extra steps | Skeptical take that mewing is nothing special. | x, 2024 |
Use it when
- Someone is posing with a sharp jaw angle for a photo.
- You are joking about self-improvement or looksmaxxing culture.
- Someone asks how to get a better jawline.
- You want to explain why someone is holding a weird face pose.
Do not use it when
- You are discussing legitimate orthodontic treatment.
- Someone has genuine body dysmorphia concerns.
Variations and related forms
Mewing vs looksmaxxing
mewing
Mewing is one specific technique focused on tongue posture and jawline.
VS
looksmaxxing
Looksmaxxing is the broader umbrella of maximizing physical appearance through any means.
Origin and context
Named after Dr. John Mew and his son Dr. Mike Mew, orthodontists who promote tongue posture and jaw development. The technique went viral on TikTok and YouTube looksmaxxing communities around 2022-2023, rapidly becoming both a practice and a meme.
- First seen
- 2022
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/mewingUpdated: 2026-08-25License: CC BY 4.0