yes

1 of 2

adverb

ˈyes 

1

—used as a function word to express assent or agreement

are you ready? Yes, I am

2

—used as a function word usually to introduce correction or contradiction of a negative assertion or direction

don't say that! Yes, I will

3

—used as a function word to introduce a more emphatic or explicit phrase

4

—used as a function word to indicate uncertainty or polite interest or attentiveness

yes

2 of 2

noun

plural yeses also yesses

: an affirmative reply : yea

Synonyms of yes

Adverb

• yeah
• OK
• alright

Noun

• affirmative

Examples of yes in a Sentence

Adverb

yes, I'll be ready for the test tomorrow

Noun

We need a yes to go ahead with the project.

She answered all the questions with yeses and nos.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Brown 17, New Haven 10 On the same day Yale opened its season, UNH fell to 1-3– yes, the Chargers have already played four games– with a loss to Ivy opponent Brown. — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026

Suspicious emails and texts show up constantly, and most spam filters only give a yes-or-no answer without explaining why. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 13 Sep. 2026

Noun

Hugo Soto-Martínez answered nearly every yes-no question posed by the DSA during his first run for City Council in 2022. — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026

The conditional yes This technique is great for situations where both the urgency and potential costs of saying no are high. — Melody Wilding, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English, from Old English gēse

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1712, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing yes

• say yes
• say yes to
• yes and no
• yes, indeed
• yes-man
• yes, thanks
• yes, yes

Rhymes for yes

• bless
• chess
• cress
• dress
• es
• ess
• esse
• fess
• guess
• jess
• less
• lesse

Kids Definition

yes

1 of 2 adverb

ˈyes 

ˈyeu̇, 

ˈe-(y)ə

are three of many variants

1

—used to express agreement

are you ready? Yes, I am

2

—used to correct or contradict what another has said

don't say that! Yes, I will

3

—used to introduce a phrase with greater force or clearness

we are glad, yes, very glad to see you

4

—used to show interest or attention

yes, what is it you want

yes

2 of 2 noun

ˈyes

: a positive reply