Did you know?
Although yen suggests no more than a strong desire these days (as in "a yen for a beach vacation"), at one time someone with a yen was in deep trouble: the first meaning of yen was an intense craving for opium. The word comes from Cantonese yīn-yáhn, a combination of yīn, meaning "opium," and yáhn, "craving." In English, the Chinese syllables were translated as yen-yen.
Examples of yen in a Sentence
Noun (2)
I have a strange yen to take the day off from work
Verb
what car lover doesn't yen for a new car at the start of every model year
Recent Examples on the Web
Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
Concern over political uncertainty led to a sell-off in Japan’s yen currency and its government bonds last week, with the yield on the 30-year bond hitting a record high on Wednesday.
—CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2025
The woman lives alone, AFP added, citing local media outlets, and was ultimately cheated out of approximately 1 million yen, or about $6,700.
—Jillian Frankel, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
The only downside to all this excellence is that the price tag comes in at 36,300 yen (or around $246 at the current exchange rate), which is somewhat steep.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yen
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The passes are available in 7-, 14-, and 21-day periods, priced at 50,000 yen (about $337), 80,000 yen ($539), and 100,000 yen ($674) respectively for standard reserved class.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
Concern over political uncertainty led to a sell-off in Japan’s yen currency and its government bonds last week, with the yield on the 30-year bond hitting a record high on Wednesday.
—CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2025
The woman lives alone, AFP added, citing local media outlets, and was ultimately cheated out of approximately 1 million yen, or about $6,700.
—Jillian Frankel, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
The only downside to all this excellence is that the price tag comes in at 36,300 yen (or around $246 at the current exchange rate), which is somewhat steep.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yen
Cite this Entry
“Yen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yen. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share