yield

1 of 2

verb

yielded; yielding; yields

transitive verb

1
a
: to bear or bring forth as a natural product especially as a result of cultivation
the tree always yields good fruit
b
: to produce or furnish as return
this soil should yield good crops
c(1)
: to produce as return from an expenditure or investment : furnish as profit or interest
a bond that yields 12 percent
(2)
: to produce as revenue : bring in
the tax is expected to yield millions
2
: to give up possession of on claim or demand: such as
a
: to surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another : hand over possession of
b
: to give (oneself) up to an inclination, temptation, or habit
c
: to relinquish one's possession of (something, such as a position of advantage or point of superiority)
yield precedence
d
: to surrender or submit (oneself) to another
e
: to give up (one's breath, life, or spirit) and so die
3
: to give or render as fitting, rightfully owed, or required
4
: to give up (a hit or run) in baseball
yielded two runs in the third inning
5
archaic : recompense, reward

intransitive verb

1
: to give way to pressure or influence : submit to urging, persuasion, or entreaty
2
: to give up and cease resistance or contention : submit, succumb
facing an enemy who would not yield
yielding to temptation
3
: to relinquish the floor of a legislative assembly
4
: to give way under physical force (such as bending, stretching, or breaking)
5
a
: to give place or precedence : acknowledge the superiority of someone else
b
: to be inferior
our dictionary yields to none
c
: to give way to or become succeeded by someone or something else
6
: to be fruitful or productive : bear, produce

yield

2 of 2

noun

1
: something yielded : product
especially : the amount or quantity produced or returned
yield of wheat per acre
2
: the capacity of yielding produce
Choose the Right Synonym for yield

yield, submit, capitulate, succumb, relent, defer mean to give way to someone or something that one can no longer resist.

yield may apply to any sort or degree of giving way before force, argument, persuasion, or entreaty.

yields too easily in any argument

submit suggests full surrendering after resistance or conflict to the will or control of another.

a repentant sinner vowing to submit to the will of God

capitulate stresses the fact of ending all resistance and may imply either a coming to terms (as with an adversary) or hopelessness in the face of an irresistible opposing force.

officials capitulated to the protesters' demands

succumb implies weakness and helplessness to the one that gives way or an overwhelming power to the opposing force.

a stage actor succumbing to the lure of Hollywood

relent implies a yielding through pity or mercy by one who holds the upper hand.

finally relented and let the children stay up late

defer implies a voluntary yielding or submitting out of respect or reverence for or deference and affection toward another.

I defer to your expertise in these matters

synonyms see in addition relinquish

Examples of yield in a Sentence

Verb The apple trees yielded an abundant harvest. This soil should yield good crops. The seeds yield a rich oil. New methods have yielded promising results in the field. The studies yielded clear evidence. The tax is expected to yield millions. The bond yields seven percent annually. After several hours of debate, the opposition yielded. I yield the floor to the Senator from Maine. I yield to the Senator. Noun Our yield of wheat increased this year. The average yield per tree is about one bushel. The yield on government bonds is currently seven percent.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Walt and Skunk hit the road, participating in competitions that yield some of The Gutter’s funniest jokes. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2024 Her prodigious work ethic has yielded a superb artist on the rise. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 Making the case for EVs involves comparing their cost over the length of ownership, which yields significant savings due to lower refueling (or recharging) and lower maintenance bills. José Rodríguez Jr. / Jalopnik, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 In addition, the device yielded a flat comb, meaning the comb lines farther away in frequency from the center did not fade in intensity. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Mar. 2024 In 2015, Le Gall and two collaborators proved that the current approach — the laser method coupled with the Coppersmith-Winograd recipe — cannot yield an omega below 2.3078. Quanta Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 Congress has been pushing the military in recent years to investigate whether the blasts from repeatedly firing heavy weapons cause brain damage, but the military has proceeded at a halting pace that has yielded few changes in the field. Dave Philipps, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Yet despite the dashing presence of Theo James as the unexpected heir to a cannabis empire, the net result blows by briskly enough but yields relatively few highs. Brian Lowry, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 But taking the time to connect with people yields the strongest results. Jasper Davidoff, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
And the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF, which tracks Treasuries with a maturity of over 20 years, has now dropped for a record eight straight days, a sign that investors are pricing in fewer rate cuts—and thus, rising Treasury yields. Will Daniel, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024 All of the state’s sugar beet growers send their yield to Michigan Sugar, the state’s only sugar producer and the third largest in the country. Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 The two-year Treasury yield, which moves more closely with expectations for the Fed, fell by more. Yuri Kageyama, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 At the same time, bonds were mixed with yields on the 10-year falling, while yields in the 2-year and 30-year moved slightly higher. Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.20% from 4.25% late Thursday. Zimo Zhong, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Winnebago, which had revenues or $3.43 billion in 2023, offers a 1.7% dividend yield and 13.5% return on equity. John Dobosz, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 In comparison, areas that produce a similar coffee variety in Brazil have yields of about 2.5 tons per hectare, according to crop agency Conab. Dayanne Sousa, Fortune Asia, 2 Mar. 2024 Groundwater loss has also reduced crop yields in some areas and caused the ground to subside in much of the country. Christopher Flavelle, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'yield.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English gieldan; akin to Old High German geltan to pay

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 5

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of yield was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near yield

Cite this Entry

“Yield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yield. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

yield

1 of 2 verb
1
: to give up possession of on claim or demand : surrender
2
: to give oneself up to a liking, temptation, or habit
3
a
: to bear as a natural product
trees that yield fruit
b
: to produce as a result of effort
this soil should yield good crops
c
: to return as profit or interest
4
: to bring good results
5
: to give up and stop fighting
will not yield to their enemy
6
: to give way to urging, persuasion, or pleading
7
: to give way under physical force so as to bend, stretch, or break
8
: to admit that someone else is better
yielder
ˈyēl-dər
noun

yield

2 of 2 noun
: something yielded : product
especially : the amount or quantity produced or returned
a high yield of wheat per acre

Legal Definition

yield

1 of 2 transitive verb
: to produce as return from an expenditure or investment : furnish as profit or interest
an account that yields 6 percent

intransitive verb

1
: to give place or precedence (as to one having a superior right or claim)
2
: to relinquish the floor of a legislative assembly
yield to the senator from Maine

yield

2 of 2 noun
1
: agricultural production especially per acre of crop
2
: the return on a financial investment usually expressed as a percentage of cost
the bond yield was 8 percent

More from Merriam-Webster on yield

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