yin

noun \ ˈyin \

|Updated on: 14 Jul 2018

Definition of yin

: the feminine passive principle in nature that in Chinese cosmology is exhibited in darkness, cold, or wetness and that combines with yang to produce all that comes to be

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Recent Examples of yin from the Web

Cauliflower also gets a lift from a yin-and-yang approach — hot sauce and maple syrup.

— tim smith, baltimoresun.com, "Mt. Washington Tavern maintains its appeal with vibrant food, lively spaces," 14 June 2018
Fey's darker yin perfectly complemented by Poehler's upbeat yang— only deepened with the Globes.

— mary kaye schilling, Town & Country, "Tina Fey Goes To War," 1 Mar. 2016
Not a bro hug, but a full chest-to-chest embrace, Kelli’s Ray-Bans against Buckley’s yin-yang earlobe plugs.

— Washington Post, "In the Army and the Klan, he hated Muslims.," 5 June 2018
Joining him is his younger daughter, Helen, an outspoken Sony music executive and the soulful yin to Vanessa’s intellectual yang.

— sam sacks, WSJ, "Fiction: The Monologues of Friends and Strangers," 1 June 2018
Somehow, Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks complemented each other perfectly, the yin to each other's yang.

— maria carter, Country Living, "How Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks Kept the Spark Alive for 41 Years," 9 Aug. 2017
Duncan said that being out of the spotlight has helped Ireland to focus strictly on college scouting, and being the yin to Loomis' yang, in that Loomis has more of a business background while Ireland works directly with player evaluation.

— clyde verdin, NOLA.com, "Jeff Ireland might not have to look far for his next GM job," 2 Mar. 2018
In addition to hot vinyasa, ashtanga, and yin classes, the studio hosts a revolving series of DJs for Friday night flows.

— elizabeth nicholas, Vogue, "Parisians Are Taking Less of a Laissez-Faire Approach to Wellness," 24 Feb. 2018
After two meat courses — a yin-yang of squab and foie gras and a veal dish sourced from Sylvia Pryzant, who counts fine-dining superstars Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud as customers — dessert brings us back to Michigan and Lents’ mission.

— mark kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, "Chef’s Table in downtown Detroit is our 2018 Restaurant of the Year," 16 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'yin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of yin

Chinese (Beijing) yīn

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1671

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Philosophy Terms

dialectic, dualism, epistemology, existentialism, metaphysics, ontology, sequitur, solipsism, transcendentalism

YIN Defined for English Language Learners

yin

noun

Definition of yin for English Language Learners

in Chinese philosophy : one of the two forces that together form everything that exists : the female principle of the universe that is considered dark and passive and is associated with earth