yap

1 of 2

verb

ˈyap 

yapped; yapping

intransitive verb

1

: to talk in a shrill insistent way : chatter

2

: to bark snappishly : yelp

yapper noun

yap

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a quick sharp bark : yelp

b

: shrill insistent talk : chatter

2

: an unsophisticated, ignorant, or uncouth person : bumpkin

3

slang : mouth

Synonyms of yap

Noun

• mouth

Examples of yap in a Sentence

Verb

The dog was yapping all night.

Kids were yapping in the back of the room.

She seems to spend all her time yapping on the phone.

Noun

I heard yaps coming from the yard.

a dope with a talent for opening his yap at exactly the wrong moment

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Foxes use a variety of calls, including barks, howls, yaps, and growls. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026

Pete Crow-Armstrong heard yapping behind home plate. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026

Noun

There was a riot of noise, the yaps and yelps of a hound pack fighting an animal on the ground. — Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025

Abigail is also an expert in Gilmore Girls lore and yaps about romance novels on a podcast in her spare time. — Abigail Rosenthal, Chron, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

imitative

First Known Use

Verb

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1822, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for yap

• app
• cap
• chap
• clap
• crap
• flap
• frap
• gap
• hap
• lap
• nap
• nappe

Kids Definition

yap

1 of 2 verb

ˈyap 

yapped; yapping

1

: to bark in yaps : yelp

2

: to talk sharply or continuously

yap

2 of 2 noun

: a quick shrill bark : yelp

Geographical Definition

Yap

geographical name

ˈyap 

ˈyäp

variants or Uap

ˈwäp 

islands in the western Carolines population 11,377

Note: The Yap Islands are part of the Federated States of Micronesia.

Yapese

ya-ˈpēz 

yä-, 

-ˈpēs

adjective