Did you know?
The word yeast has existed in English for as long as the language has existed. Spellings have varied over time—in Middle English it was yest and in Old English gist or giest—but the word's meaning has remained basically the same for centuries. In its first documented English uses in the 1500s, the adjective yeasty described people or things with a yellowish or frothy appearance similar to the froth that forms on the top of fermented beverages (such as beers or ales). Since then, a number of extended figurative senses of yeasty have surfaced, all of which play in some way or another on the excitable, chemical nature of fermentation, such as by connoting unsettled activity or significant change.
Examples of yeasty in a Sentence
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
5 May 2026
The slugs are attracted to the yeasty odor and drown.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
22 Apr. 2026
Even her husband, who is generally not a fan of Marmite on its own, loves Twiglets, a British snack similar to pretzel sticks coated with a yeasty Marmite-like seasoning.
—
Kristen Hartke,
Saveur,
12 Mar. 2026
Cook at the highest setting, flipping as needed according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until crisp, golden, airy, and emitting a yeasty aroma, 4 to 5 minutes.
—
Karla Walsh,
CNN Money,
31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yeasty
Cite this Entry
“Yeasty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yeasty. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy Citation
