yen

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈyen 

plural yen

: the basic monetary unit of Japan see Money Table

yen

2 of 3

noun (2)

: a strong desire or propensity

a yen for the sea

also : urge, craving

a yen for ice cream

yen

3 of 3

verb

yenned; yenning

intransitive verb

: to have an intense desire : long

Did you know?

Although yen suggests no more than a strong desire these days (as in “a yen for a beach vacation”), at one time someone with a yen was in deep trouble: the first meaning of yen, used in the late 19th century, was an intense craving for opium. The word comes from yīn-yáhn, a combination of yīn, meaning “opium,” and yáhn, “craving,” in the Chinese language used in the province of Guangdong. In English, the Chinese syllables were translated as yen-yen, and eventually shortened to yen.

Synonyms of yen

Noun (2)

• craving
• desire
• thirst
• longing
• urge
• appetite
• hunger

Verb

• crave
• pine (for)
• die (for)
• hunger (for)
• long (for)
• thirst (for)
• repine (for)
• wish (for)
• want
• itch (for)
• salivate (for)
• sigh (for)
• lust (for or after)
• jones (for)
• yearn (for)
• ache (for)
• hanker (for or after)

Examples of yen in a Sentence

Noun (2)

I have a strange yen to take the day off from work

Verb

A car lover who predictably yens for the latest and greatest new models.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The dollar index, which measures the dollar’s strength against a basket of foreign currencies such as the pound, euro and yen, has fallen nearly 1% since Wednesday morning. — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026

In the case of the recent yen initiative, Bessent recommended the Fed expand one of its facilities, a call seen as designed to stem Japanese outright sales of Treasuries. — Christopher Anstey, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Bessent’s toolbox The buyback announcement also comes after the Treasury Department earlier this month intervened in currency markets to boost the Japanese yen. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

But the weak yen makes raw materials and other essentials such as food and oil more expensive when purchased abroad. — ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Japanese en

Noun (2)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1874, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1906, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1919, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing yen

• the yen
• yen-shee

Rhymes for yen

• ben
• bren
• chen
• den
• en
• gen
• glen
• hen
• jen
• ken
• men
• pen

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

yen

1 of 2 noun

ˈyen 

plural yen

1

: the basic unit of money of Japan

2

: a coin worth one yen

yen

2 of 2 noun

: an intense desire : longing