yap

1 of 2

verb

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

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
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.
Verb
Alex Caruso, the Thunder’s Chihuahua yapping up the Nuggets’ trees, pestered Aaron Gordon in search of a desperation turnover. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 16 May 2025 Once again, the naysayers began yapping, with people wondering if Blue, an 11-year-old first-time performer, would grow up to live up to her iconic mother, who, at that point, had decades of experience under her belt. Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 9 May 2025
Noun
TikTok and Instagram Reels are rife with clips of two women sitting in a pink or beige studio and, in TikTok terms, having a yap about seemingly inconsequential matters. Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 10 Apr. 2025 Foxes use a variety of calls, including barks, howls, yaps, and growls. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for yap

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of yap was in 1596

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Yap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yap. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

yap

1 of 2 verb
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 How to pronounce Yap (audio)
ˈyäp
variants or Uap
islands in the western Carolines population 11,377

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

Yapese
ya-ˈpēz How to pronounce Yap (audio)
yä-
-ˈpēs
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on yap

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!