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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
what car lover doesn't yen for a new car at the start of every model year
Recent Examples on the Web
Riley Jones, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
Before the election, Takaichi had announced a record 122 trillion yen budget for the fiscal year starting April 1, marking a second straight year of record spending and vowing to support households with cost-of-living pressures.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
Sales for the three quarters dipped 2.2% to 15.98 trillion yen ($102.6 billion) from the previous year.
—Yuri Kageyama, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
The election outcome will give Takaichi a fresh mandate to tackle challenges such as Japan’s rapidly aging population, the rising cost of living, a weak yen, and soured relations with China.
—Yumi Asada, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for yen
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Noun
Priced at 36,300 yen (around $235), the special-edition colorway’s style code is IQ3459-072.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
Before the election, Takaichi had announced a record 122 trillion yen budget for the fiscal year starting April 1, marking a second straight year of record spending and vowing to support households with cost-of-living pressures.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
Sales for the three quarters dipped 2.2% to 15.98 trillion yen ($102.6 billion) from the previous year.
—Yuri Kageyama, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
The election outcome will give Takaichi a fresh mandate to tackle challenges such as Japan’s rapidly aging population, the rising cost of living, a weak yen, and soured relations with China.
—Yumi Asada, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 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 21 Feb. 2026.
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