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Yawp first appeared sometime in the 15th century. This verb comes from Middle English yolpen, most likely itself derived from the past participle of yelpen, meaning "to boast, call out, or yelp." Interestingly, yawp retains much of the meaning of yelpen, in that it implies a type of complaining which often has a yelping or squawking quality. An element of foolishness, in addition to the noisiness, is often implied as well. Yawp can also be a noun meaning "a raucous noise" or "squawk." The noun yawp arrived on the scene more than 400 years after the verb. It was greatly popularized by "Song of Myself," a poem by Walt Whitman containing the line "I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world."
Examples of yawp in a Sentence
Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2023
Credit to the singer for expanding outside her usual vocal range, though, deploying an Imogen Heap–style yawp on this one.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 11 Jan. 2021
And, finally, the restatement of the American Dream for a new century, just the way Walt Whitman yawped it in the streets of Manhattan.
—Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 19 Mar. 2017
Outside Online, 9 Apr. 2025
In the ever-expanding universe of obsolete sounds, few can compare to the confident yawp of a dial-up modem.
—Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2025
Collins pulls out a roaring yawp as carelessly as LaMelo Ball spams 3-pointers.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
Taken together, the memes about the rally shooting represent a collective yawp of confusion over how to process such an extreme incident through such fundamentally trivializing channels.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 17 July 2024
Credit to the singer for expanding outside her usual vocal range, though, deploying an Imogen Heap–style yawp on this one.
168.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 May 2024
The result: a cathartic yawp for bandmates and fans alike.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Yawp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yawp. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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yawp
2 of 2 noun
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