yodel

1 of 2

verb

yo·​del ˈyō-dᵊl 

yodeled or yodelled; yodeling or yodelling ˈyōd-liŋ 

ˈyō-dᵊl-iŋ

intransitive verb

: to sing by suddenly changing from a natural voice to a falsetto and back

also : to shout or call in a similar manner

transitive verb

: to sing (a tune) by yodeling

yodeler

ˈyōd-lər 

ˈyō-dᵊl-ər

noun

yodel

2 of 2

noun

: a song or refrain sung by yodeling

also : a yodeled shout or cry

Examples of yodel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Located an hour’s drive east of Zurich, the quiet region is steeped in Swiss tradition, nestled amid the Alpstein Mountains, famous for its distinct namesake cheese, and a stronghold for longstanding cultural moors (yodeling included). —Jackie Caradonio, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2026

Entertainment includes bands like the Golden Gate Bavarian Club, dance contests, yodeling competitions and endless renditions of the chicken dance. —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025

Noun

Roan leans in here with feeling, drenching the song in fiddle and even getting close to a yodel in her vocal delivery. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025

Part of his way of taking it yokel — besides bringing in Foo Fighter Rami Jaffee on accordion and Willie Aron blowing harmonica — was to add a previously unheard yodel to the chorus. —Chris Willman, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

German jodeln

First Known Use

Verb

1827, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1844, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for yodel

• modal
• nodal
• asphodel
• bimodal
• intermodal
• multimodal
• unimodal

Kids Definition

yodel

verb

yo·​del

ˈyōd-ᵊl

yodeled or yodelled; yodeling or yodelling

ˈyōd-liŋ, 

-ᵊl-iŋ

: to sing while frequently going back and forth between the range of one's natural voice and a higher range

also : to shout or call in this manner

yodel noun

yodeler

ˈyōd-lər, 

-ᵊl-ər

noun