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
There is an alternative to the trial-and-error style prompt engineering that yielded such inconsistent results: Ask the language model to devise its own optimal prompt. IEEE Spectrum, 6 Mar. 2024 The auction of the company's assets yielded $226,787 after costs, according Wirth's September report to Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel. Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2024 Leaning mostly on a four-seamer that averaged 95.2 mph, an 81-mph curve and an 86-mph cut fastball, Paxton went 5-1 with a 3.00 ERA over nine starts in June and July, striking out 53 and walking 13 in 51 innings and yielding a .203 average and a .589 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024 The defense is also a concern after yielding 177.7 yards per game on the ground — and a whopping 4.9 yards per carry — last season. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 But policies aimed at obesity prevention may yield a more sustainable path towards improvement in health and economic growth. Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The electoral pressure on Biden could yield some foreign policy results. Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 Exceptionally lightweight, this quick-drying oil speeds up your self-care routine but still yields soft, supple skin. Brigitt Earley, Allure, 28 Feb. 2024 Now’s the time to consider what to do differently to yield different outcomes when faced with the threat of large wildfires. Richard Danforth, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
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 To that end, Stewart restricts yields in the vineyard to concentrate flavor, sorts grape clusters and individual berries with a meticulous eye, and slowly and gently ferments to achieve maximum extraction. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2024 The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.31% from 4.32% late Wednesday. Damian J. Troise, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2024 When the Fed lowers rates, bond yields will fall but bond prices will rise because the two are inversely related. The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024 The company has a shareholder yield of 3.9%, ranking in the 22nd percentile. Charles Rotblut, Forbes, 21 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 19 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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