Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words
1

yen

play
noun \ ˈyen \

Definition of yen

plural yen
the basic monetary unit of Japan — see Money Table

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

alt-59c2960017c94
The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'
image536372841
Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes
video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066
alt-59c2cb9e9ef54
Trending: Ivanka: "An 'Otherwise' Incredible Day"

yen was our Word of the Day on 03/29/2014. Hear the podcast!

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Get Word of the Day daily email, delivered to your inbox!

Origin and Etymology of yen

Japanese en

2

yen

noun

Definition of yen

:a strong desire or propensity
  • a yen for the sea
; also :urge, craving
  • a yen for ice cream

Origin and Etymology of yen

obsolete English argot yen-yen craving for opium, from Chin (Guangdong) yīn-yáhn, from yīn opium + yáhn craving

3

yen

verb

Definition of yen

yenned; yenning
intransitive verb
:to have an intense desire :long

First Known Use of yen

circa 1919

Phrases Related to YEN

Related Phrases

YEN Defined for Kids

yen

play
noun \ ˈyen \

Definition of yen for Students

:a strong desire :longing

Learn More about yen

  1. See words that rhyme with yen Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for yen Spanish Central: Translation of yen Nglish: Translation of yen for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of yen for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about yen

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up yen? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

WORD OF THE DAY

shofar

play

a ram's-horn trumpet used in Judaism

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. otherwise "in other respects"

  2. federalism Graham says bill gives power to states

  3. bodega "Don’t mess with the beloved bodega."

  4. carceral Of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison

  5. allegory No spoilers!

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

yen

Test Your Vocabulary

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

  • young-plant-shoots
  • Which of the following is a new sense of the word bunny?
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Bee Cubed

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

alt-59c2960017c94
The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

image536372841
Silent Letters

When each letter can be seen but not heard

alt-59c17b8172892
'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

Its origins are surprisingly murky.

alt-59c13729150dc
"Immune to" or "Immune from"?

Nobody is immune to this question.

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz
stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz
Name That Thing
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

Take the quiz
Bee Cubed
Bee Cubed

Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

Play the game