yap

1 of 3

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 3

noun (1)

1

a

: a quick sharp bark : yelp

b

: shrill insistent talk : chatter

2

: an unsophisticated, ignorant, or uncouth person : bumpkin

3

slang : mouth

yapper

3 of 3

noun (2)

yap·​per

ˈyapə(r)

plural -s

: one that yaps

a nation of yappers and listeners and movie watchers

—H. A. Lincoln

Synonyms of yap

Noun (1)

• 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 (1)

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

This is a man who’d spent decades yapping to his front-facing camera and now invested his campaign cash in online clipping services to promote his appearances on the video-podcast circuit. —Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 8 June 2026

Washington — The Federal Reserve is yapping too much about the economy, according to Kevin Warsh, the US central bank’s incoming leader. —Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 17 May 2026

Noun

Foxes use a variety of calls, including barks, howls, yaps, and growls. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2025

But Wednesday down in Dove Valley felt like a level of intensity these Broncos hadn’t reached all offseason, emotions and bellows and yaps hinging on nearly every rep during team work. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 31 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun (2)

imitative

First Known Use

Verb

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

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