yield

1 of 2

verb

yielded; yielding; yields

transitive verb

1
a
: to bear or bring forth as a natural product especially as a result of cultivation
the tree always yields good fruit
b
: to produce or furnish as return
this soil should yield good crops
c(1)
: to produce as return from an expenditure or investment : furnish as profit or interest
a bond that yields 12 percent
(2)
: to produce as revenue : bring in
the tax is expected to yield millions
2
: to give up possession of on claim or demand: such as
a
: to surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another : hand over possession of
b
: to give (oneself) up to an inclination, temptation, or habit
c
: to relinquish one's possession of (something, such as a position of advantage or point of superiority)
yield precedence
d
: to surrender or submit (oneself) to another
e
: to give up (one's breath, life, or spirit) and so die
3
: to give or render as fitting, rightfully owed, or required
4
: to give up (a hit or run) in baseball
yielded two runs in the third inning
5
archaic : recompense, reward

intransitive verb

1
: to give way to pressure or influence : submit to urging, persuasion, or entreaty
2
: to give up and cease resistance or contention : submit, succumb
facing an enemy who would not yield
yielding to temptation
3
: to relinquish the floor of a legislative assembly
4
: to give way under physical force (such as bending, stretching, or breaking)
5
a
: to give place or precedence : acknowledge the superiority of someone else
b
: to be inferior
our dictionary yields to none
c
: to give way to or become succeeded by someone or something else
6
: to be fruitful or productive : bear, produce

yield

2 of 2

noun

1
: something yielded : product
especially : the amount or quantity produced or returned
yield of wheat per acre
2
: the capacity of yielding produce
Choose the Right Synonym for yield

yield, submit, capitulate, succumb, relent, defer mean to give way to someone or something that one can no longer resist.

yield may apply to any sort or degree of giving way before force, argument, persuasion, or entreaty.

yields too easily in any argument

submit suggests full surrendering after resistance or conflict to the will or control of another.

a repentant sinner vowing to submit to the will of God

capitulate stresses the fact of ending all resistance and may imply either a coming to terms (as with an adversary) or hopelessness in the face of an irresistible opposing force.

officials capitulated to the protesters' demands

succumb implies weakness and helplessness to the one that gives way or an overwhelming power to the opposing force.

a stage actor succumbing to the lure of Hollywood

relent implies a yielding through pity or mercy by one who holds the upper hand.

finally relented and let the children stay up late

defer implies a voluntary yielding or submitting out of respect or reverence for or deference and affection toward another.

I defer to your expertise in these matters

synonyms see in addition relinquish

Examples of yield in a Sentence

Verb The apple trees yielded an abundant harvest. This soil should yield good crops. The seeds yield a rich oil. New methods have yielded promising results in the field. The studies yielded clear evidence. The tax is expected to yield millions. The bond yields seven percent annually. After several hours of debate, the opposition yielded. I yield the floor to the Senator from Maine. I yield to the Senator. Noun Our yield of wheat increased this year. The average yield per tree is about one bushel. The yield on government bonds is currently seven percent.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The studio then made a splash with a groundbreaking for that time Netflix deal in 2013 for a suite of Marvel Television series as well as a superhero team-up limited series that yielded six shows. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2024 If well executed, this incremental approach could rewrite how Colombia constructs peace—not in sweeping accords but in small victories that yield practical results. Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2024
Noun
For example, these displays can be used to share real-time information on the resource allocation and machine yield, so that the shift manager can decide on possible corrections to meet daily targets. Fabio Belloni, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 The tech-heavy Nasdaq was down nearly 1.5%, gold was up about 1% and the 10-year yield was down fractionally in early afternoon trading. Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for yield 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'yield.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English gieldan; akin to Old High German geltan to pay

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 5

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of yield was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near yield

Cite this Entry

“Yield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yield. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

yield

1 of 2 verb
1
: to give up possession of on claim or demand : surrender
2
: to give oneself up to a liking, temptation, or habit
3
a
: to bear as a natural product
trees that yield fruit
b
: to produce as a result of effort
this soil should yield good crops
c
: to return as profit or interest
4
: to bring good results
5
: to give up and stop fighting
will not yield to their enemy
6
: to give way to urging, persuasion, or pleading
7
: to give way under physical force so as to bend, stretch, or break
8
: to admit that someone else is better
yielder
ˈyēl-dər
noun

yield

2 of 2 noun
: something yielded : product
especially : the amount or quantity produced or returned
a high yield of wheat per acre

Legal Definition

yield

1 of 2 transitive verb
: to produce as return from an expenditure or investment : furnish as profit or interest
an account that yields 6 percent

intransitive verb

1
: to give place or precedence (as to one having a superior right or claim)
2
: to relinquish the floor of a legislative assembly
yield to the senator from Maine

yield

2 of 2 noun
1
: agricultural production especially per acre of crop
2
: the return on a financial investment usually expressed as a percentage of cost
the bond yield was 8 percent

More from Merriam-Webster on yield

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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