This list includes 21 Adjectives that start with Y, from “yakky” to “yummy”. Many are vivid and often colloquial, useful for describing taste, sound, texture, or personality in writing and speech.
Adjectives that start with Y are descriptive words that begin with the letter Y. Because Y is a less common initial, these adjectives often stand out in poetry, advertising, and names.
Below you’ll find the table with Word, Definition, Example, and Register.
Word: The adjective itself; use this column to quickly find the exact word you can use in your sentence.
Definition: A concise one-line meaning that explains common use and nuance so you know whether the word fits your context.
Example: A short, natural sentence showing typical use so you see grammar, tone, and common collocations.
Register: Labels such as formal, colloquial, or archaic that tell you when and where you should use the adjective.
Adjectives that start with Y
| Word | Definition | Example sentence | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| yellow | having the color of lemons or ripe gold | The sun painted the leaves yellow today. | neutral |
| yellowish | somewhat yellow; slightly tinged with yellow | The fabric had a yellowish tint in the light. | neutral |
| yellowy | slightly yellow; informal variant of yellowish | The paint looked a bit yellowy under the bulbs. | informal |
| young | having little age; in early life or development | The young athlete recovered quickly from injury. | neutral |
| youngish | somewhat young; somewhat youthful in appearance | She looked youngish for her forty years. | informal |
| youthful | having qualities of youth; energetic or young-looking | His youthful energy impressed the newcomers. | neutral |
| youthless | lacking youth or youthful qualities; appearing older | The portrait made her look oddly youthless. | formal |
| yearly | occurring once every year; annual | We schedule a yearly performance review each January. | neutral |
| yearlong | lasting for an entire year; one-year duration | They planned a yearlong conservation project together. | neutral |
| yeasty | having the smell or qualities of yeast; foamy | The dough had a warm, yeasty aroma. | neutral |
| yare | nimble, ready, or quick (especially nautical or literary) | The ship was yare and handled well in wind. | archaic |
| yar | nimble; easy to handle (nautical, dialectal) | The yacht felt surprisingly yar in the chop. | dialectal |
| yonder | that or those located over there; at a distance | See the yonder hill beyond the valley. | dialectal |
| yappy | inclined to bark or talk noisily; small and noisy | That yappy dog won’t stop at night. | informal |
| yakky | talkative or chatty; prone to idle chatter | The host grew tired of the yakky guest. | informal |
| yucky | disgusting, unpleasant, or gross (child-friendly) | The milk smelled sour and tasted yucky. | informal |
| yummy | delicious; tasty or pleasing (often about food) | That homemade pie is absolutely yummy. | informal |
| yobbish | rude, aggressive, or loutish (British informal) | The crowd turned yobbish after the match. | informal |
| yeomanly | dependable, hardworking, and loyal; like a yeoman | She offered yeomanly service during the crisis. | formal |
| yeomanlike | similar to yeomanly; solid and dependable in work | His yeomanlike help kept the project afloat. | formal |
| yieldable | capable of yielding or being given way; flexible | The fabric is yieldable under moderate stretching. | neutral |
Descriptions
yellow
A basic color adjective; very common in speech and writing. Collocates include yellow light, yellow card, yellow paint; neutral connotation.
yellowish
Describes a slight or partial yellow tone. Useful for precise color description; common in both everyday and literary contexts.
yellowy
British/informal alternative to yellowish. Casual tone, often used in speech and informal writing to soften color description.
young
Extremely common for people, animals, or things. Collocates: young child, young adult. Neutral and widely used across registers.
youngish
Informal hedge meaning slightly young. Often used in conversational contexts to approximate age politely.
youthful
Positive connotation emphasizing vigor, appearance, or attitude. Common collocates: youthful appearance, youthful vigor.
youthless
Less common and slightly literary; emphasizes absence of youth rather than age itself.
yearly
Synonymous with “annual.” Common in business, publishing, and everyday contexts (yearly report, yearly fee).
yearlong
Single-word compound used to describe duration. Common in modern writing for projects, contracts, and events.
yeasty
Common in culinary and brewing contexts; also used figuratively for frothy or effervescent qualities.
yare
Older or nautical adjective meaning nimble or quick. Seen in literature or maritime writing; uncommon in everyday speech.
yar
Variant of “yare,” used in nautical or regional contexts. Short, vivid, and uncommon outside specialist or regional speech.
yonder
Evokes rural or poetic speech. Used to point out distant objects; more regional or literary than neutral.
yappy
Informal and slightly pejorative, often used for small dogs or chatty people. Common in conversational English.
yakky
Informal synonym of “yappy.” Casual and conversational; often used about talkative people or hosts.
yucky
Very common informal term expressing disgust, often used by children. Simple and widely understood across ages.
yummy
Positive, informal adjective for food (and sometimes experiences). Playful tone; common in casual speech and advertising.
yobbish
British informal adjective from “yob”; describes rowdy, antisocial behavior. Negative connotation in sociable contexts.
yeomanly
Praise-oriented, somewhat old-fashioned; used to commend steady, reliable effort or service.
yeomanlike
Synonymous with yeomanly; slightly archaic or formal. Used for dependable, earnest contributions.
yieldable
Less common, used in technical, legal, or material contexts to indicate something can give way or be produced.