Full List
Yabber: To talk continuously, often rapidly or foolishly; chatter.
- The kids sat around yabbering about their favorite TV shows.
- She yabbered on without noticing nobody was listening.
Yackle: (Dialectal/rare) To talk noisily or foolishly; chatter.
- The old men yackled by the fire, swapping stories.
Yackety-Yak: To engage in idle talk; chatter excessively.
- The students yackety-yakked instead of paying attention in class.
Yahoo: To shout or cheer loudly, often in excitement.
- The crowd yahooed when the band took the stage.
Yak: To talk persistently, especially about trivial things.
- She kept yakking on the phone for hours.
Yammer: To complain or whine loudly. Also, to talk incessantly.
- The toddler yammered because he didn’t get his toy.
- They yammered on about politics all night.
Yank: To pull with a sudden, sharp movement.
- She yanked the door open.
- He yanked his arm away angrily.
Yap: (Of a dog) To bark sharply and frequently. Informally, to talk noisily or foolishly.
- The puppy yapped at the mail carrier.
- He just yapped the whole meeting without saying much of value.
Yarken: (Archaic) To yearn or long for something.
- He yarkened after her company.
Yaw: To deviate temporarily from a straight course, especially of a ship or aircraft.
- The plane yawed slightly in the crosswinds.
- The boat yawed with each incoming wave.
Yawn: To open the mouth wide and inhale deeply due to tiredness or boredom. Figuratively, to be wide open.
- He couldn’t stop yawning during the lecture.
- The canyon yawns beneath the bridge.
Yawp: To utter a loud, harsh cry; to complain loudly.
- The baby yawped in protest.
- The critics yawped about the film’s flaws.
Yay: To shout “yay!” as an exclamation of approval or excitement.
- The kids yayed when the ice cream arrived.
Yea-say: (Archaic) To affirm, to agree.
- He yea-said the proposal without hesitation.
Yearn: To have an intense longing or desire for something.
- She yearned to travel the world.
- He yearned for peace of mind.
Yegg: (Slang, dated) To commit burglary, especially safecracking.
- The gang planned to yegg the bank vault.
Yell: To shout loudly, usually in anger, excitement, or pain.
- He yelled for help.
- She yelled at her brother for breaking her phone.
Yellow: (Slang) To become cowardly or lose courage.
- He yellowed at the last minute and backed out of the fight.
Yelp: To give a short, sharp cry of pain, fear, or excitement.
- The dog yelped when it stepped on a thorn.
- She yelped in surprise when the balloon popped.
Yen: To have a deep desire or craving for something.
- He yenned for adventure in faraway lands.
Yeomanize: (Obsolete/rare) To perform the duties of a yeoman (a servant or attendant).
- He yeomanized in service to the knight.
Yeuk: (Scottish) To itch.
- My skin yeuks after wearing wool sweaters.
Yield: To give way under pressure; to surrender. Also, to produce or provide something.
- The soldiers yielded after hours of fighting.
- The farm yields plenty of crops each year.
Yike: (Slang, rare) To run away quickly; to move fast.
- He yiked out of the room when trouble started.
Yip: To bark or yelp sharply, especially of a small dog.
- The terrier yipped at the stranger.
Yipe: To utter a short cry, especially in surprise or fear.
- “Yipe!” she squealed as the spider crawled closer.
Yodel: To sing with sudden changes from normal voice to falsetto.
- He yodeled across the valley.
Yoke: To join together or attach, often with a yoke. Figuratively, to bind closely.
- The farmer yoked the oxen to the plow.
- The two friends were yoked by a shared dream.
Yomp: (British military slang) To march carrying heavy equipment over difficult terrain.
- The soldiers yomped across the countryside.
Yon: (Archaic) To go or move yonder (over there).
- He yonned across the field.
Yonder: (Archaic verb form) To go over there.
- She yondered to the far side of the hill.
Yoo-hoo: To call out “yoo-hoo” in order to attract attention.
- She yoo-hooed to her neighbor from across the street.
Yo-yo: To move up and down repeatedly, like a yo-yo.
- Prices yo-yoed throughout the year.
Yowl: To make a long, loud, mournful cry, like a cat.
- The cat yowled outside the door.
- The wind yowled through the canyon.
Yuck: To express disgust or distaste.
- She yucked at the thought of eating snails.
Yucker: (Rare, dialectal) To make a sound of disgust; gag.
- He yuckered at the rotten smell.
Yuke: (Variant of yeuk) To itch.
- His skin yuked after the insect bite.
Yuloh: To row using a Chinese sculling oar (yuloh).
- The fisherman yulohed his boat across the river.
Yump: (Scandinavian slang in English) To jump.
- The children yumped in the snow.
Yuppify: To make something more appealing to affluent young professionals; gentrify.
- The neighborhood has been yuppified with new cafés and boutiques.
Yur: (Dialectal) To urinate.
- The boy needed to yur behind the barn.
Yatter: (Scottish/Irish) To talk continuously or chatter.
- The old ladies yattered for hours at the tea shop.
Yawl: (Nautical/archaic) To cry out; to call.
- The sailors yawled orders across the deck.
Yean: (Archaic) Of a sheep or goat: to give birth.
- The ewe yeaned twins in the spring.
Yerd: (Scottish, archaic) To bury.
- They yerded him in the churchyard.
Yex: (Archaic) To hiccup, belch, or sob.
- The drunkard yexed loudly after the feast.
Yet: (Archaic) To pour out.
- The servant yetted wine into the goblet.
Yexle: (Dialectal, rare) To pant or breathe hard.
- The runner yexled after finishing the race.
Yow: (Scottish) To howl or cry out.
