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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
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Noun (2)
Verb
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
Catherine Thorbecke, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026
If gasoline prices were at roughly 200 yen and capped at 170 yen, the subsidy could cost around 300 billion yen per month, according to Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Token, pushover human Seth (Gil Ozeri) lives under the thumb of the tiny, domineering dog Brandi (the incomparable Amy Sedaris), a high maintenance diva with a yen for single-use Stanley cups.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
The rebuke came after Akazawa said during a Sunday TV appearance that correcting the weak yen through monetary policy was among the options for curbing rising import prices.
—Yoshiaki Nohara, Bloomberg, 14 Apr. 2026
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Noun
Before investing millions more yen in robotic experiments, the next policy response might be to meaningfully lift wages as part of a broader effort to restore dignity and status to the work itself.
—Catherine Thorbecke, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026
If gasoline prices were at roughly 200 yen and capped at 170 yen, the subsidy could cost around 300 billion yen per month, according to Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Token, pushover human Seth (Gil Ozeri) lives under the thumb of the tiny, domineering dog Brandi (the incomparable Amy Sedaris), a high maintenance diva with a yen for single-use Stanley cups.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
The rebuke came after Akazawa said during a Sunday TV appearance that correcting the weak yen through monetary policy was among the options for curbing rising import prices.
—Yoshiaki Nohara, Bloomberg, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for yen
Cite this Entry
“Yen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yen. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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