This list brings together 21 verbs starting with the letter Y, ranging from “Yell” to “Yatter”. They cover everything from loud outbursts and animal sounds to farming terms and old-fashioned words for chatter. You’ll find them useful for building vocabulary, writing more vividly, or simply discovering words you didn’t know existed.

Verbs are words that describe actions, states, or occurrences, and they form the backbone of every sentence you write or speak. Many Y-verbs on this list, like “yodel” and “yoke”, trace back to specific traditions such as Alpine singing and farm labor. Others, like “yawp”, carry a literary flavor thanks to poets like Walt Whitman, who used the word to capture a raw, untamed cry.

Below you’ll find the table with the word, tense forms, definition, example usage, and description for each verb.

Word: the verb itself, spelled out clearly so you can quickly scan the list and find the one you’re looking for.

Tense Forms: the present, past, and present participle forms, helping you use each verb correctly in any sentence you write.

Definition: a straightforward explanation of what the verb means, so you understand exactly how and when to use it.

Example Usage: a sample sentence showing the verb in action, giving you a natural sense of its everyday use.

Description: extra context on the verb’s tone, origin, or common usage, helping you use it with more confidence and precision.

Verbs

WordTense FormsDefinitionExample Usage
Yellyells, yelled, yellingTo shout loudly, especially in anger, pain, or excitementShe yelled at the top of her lungs when she won the lottery.
Yearnyearns, yearned, yearningTo have an intense feeling of longing for something, typically something one cannot easily haveHe yearned for the simple days of his childhood.
Yankyanks, yanked, yankingTo pull something suddenly and sharplyShe yanked the stuck drawer open with both hands.
Yawnyawns, yawned, yawningTo open the mouth wide and inhale, usually involuntarily from tiredness or boredomHe yawned loudly during the boring lecture.
Yapyaps, yapped, yappingTo bark sharply and repeatedly, or to talk quickly and noisilyThe small dog yapped at every passing car.
Yieldyields, yielded, yieldingTo give way to pressure, or to produce or provide somethingThe farmer’s field yielded a bumper crop this year.
Yodelyodels, yodeled, yodelingTo sing or call with rapid alternation between the normal voice and falsettoThe singer yodeled cheerfully during the Alpine folk song.
Yokeyokes, yoked, yokingTo join or link together, especially with a wooden frame connecting draft animalsFarmers yoked the oxen together to plow the field.
Yowlyowls, yowled, yowlingTo make a loud, long, mournful cry, especially like a cat in distressThe cat yowled outside the door all night.
Yammeryammers, yammered, yammeringTo talk complainingly or continuouslyThey yammered on about the weather for an hour.
Yawyaws, yawed, yawingTo deviate temporarily from a straight course, especially of a ship or aircraftThe plane yawed slightly in the crosswind.
Yelpyelps, yelped, yelpingTo give a sudden sharp cry, typically of pain or alarmThe puppy yelped when it stepped on a thorn.
Yakyaks, yakked, yakkingTo talk persistently or casually about unimportant thingsThe friends yakked on the phone for hours.
Yawpyawps, yawped, yawpingTo make a harsh or hoarse cry or complaintThe bird yawped from the treetop at dawn.
Yeanyeans, yeaned, yeaningTo give birth, used specifically of sheep or goatsThe ewe yeaned twin lambs in early spring.
Yompyomps, yomped, yompingTo march or walk with a heavy load over difficult terrain, especially in a military contextThe soldiers yomped across the boggy moorland.
Yerkyerks, yerked, yerkingAn archaic term meaning to strike, jerk, or lash out quicklyThe old text described how he yerked the reins sharply.
Yipyips, yipped, yippingTo give a small, sharp bark or cryThe excited puppy yipped as it chased its tail.
Yenyens, yenned, yenningTo have a strong desire or craving for somethingShe yenned for a slice of her grandmother’s pie.
Yexyexes, yexed, yexingAn archaic and dialectal term meaning to hiccup or belchThe old dialect word “yex” described a sudden hiccup.
Yatteryatters, yattered, yatteringA chiefly British informal term meaning to talk incessantly, especially about unimportant thingsThe neighbors yattered away over the garden fence.

Descriptions

Yell
A common way to express strong emotion by raising your voice sharply, often heard in moments of surprise, fear, or frustration.
Yearn
Describes a deep, wistful desire for someone or something that feels out of reach, often tied to nostalgia or emotional longing.
Yank
A quick, forceful pulling motion, often used when something is stuck or needs to be removed abruptly.
Yawn
An involuntary reflex that signals tiredness or boredom, famously contagious among people and even some animals.
Yap
Often used for small dogs with high-pitched, repetitive barking, but also informally describes someone talking too much.
Yield
Can mean surrendering or giving way, or producing a result, like a harvest, profit, or outcome from effort.
Yodel
A distinctive singing style associated with Alpine herding traditions, marked by quick shifts between low and high vocal registers.
Yoke
Traditionally refers to fastening animals together for work, but is also used more broadly to mean joining two things closely.
Yowl
A loud, wailing cry typically associated with cats, though it can describe any similarly haunting, drawn-out sound.
Yammer
Describes persistent, often whiny or nonstop chatter, usually seen as annoying to those listening.
Yaw
A technical term from sailing and aviation describing sideways rotation or drifting off a straight path.
Yelp
A short, sharp cry usually triggered by sudden pain, fear, or surprise, often associated with dogs.
Yak
An informal word for extended, casual conversation, often about trivial or everyday topics.
Yawp
A somewhat old-fashioned word for a loud, raw cry, famously used by poet Walt Whitman to describe an untamed shout.
Yean
A specialized farming term describing when a ewe or goat gives birth, mostly used in agricultural contexts.
Yomp
A British military slang term for trekking long distances on foot while carrying heavy equipment.
Yerk
A rare, old-fashioned verb for a sudden striking or jerking motion, seldom used in modern English.
Yip
A short, high-pitched bark or cry, often used for small dogs or sudden bursts of excitement.
Yen
An informal way to describe a strong craving or longing, often paired with “for” to specify what is wanted.
Yex
A rare, largely obsolete word from older English dialects referring to hiccupping, now almost never used outside historical texts.
Yatter
A casual British word for nonstop chatting, similar to yammer, often used to describe trivial gossip or small talk.
If you think there is a missing term, let us know using the contact form.