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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 was an intense craving for opium. The word comes from Cantonese yīn-yáhn, a combination of yīn, meaning "opium," and yáhn, "craving." In English, the Chinese syllables were translated as yen-yen.
Examples of yen in a Sentence
Noun (2)
I have a strange yen to take the day off from work
Verb
what car lover doesn't yen for a new car at the start of every model year
Recent Examples on the Web
John Werner, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
But her monthly pay was only 140,000 yen.
—Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2025
The passes are available in 7-, 14-, and 21-day periods, priced at 50,000 yen (about $337), 80,000 yen ($539), and 100,000 yen ($674) respectively for standard reserved class.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
Concern over political uncertainty led to a sell-off in Japan’s yen currency and its government bonds last week, with the yield on the 30-year bond hitting a record high on Wednesday.
—CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yen
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Noun
Commonly, business leaders, tech journalists, and anyone with a yen to follow the top changes in AI will take a look at what top consultants have to say.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
But her monthly pay was only 140,000 yen.
—Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2025
The passes are available in 7-, 14-, and 21-day periods, priced at 50,000 yen (about $337), 80,000 yen ($539), and 100,000 yen ($674) respectively for standard reserved class.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
Concern over political uncertainty led to a sell-off in Japan’s yen currency and its government bonds last week, with the yield on the 30-year bond hitting a record high on Wednesday.
—CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yen
Cite this Entry
“Yen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yen. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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