yen

noun

Definition of yennext
as in craving
a strong wish for something I have a strange yen to take the day off from work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of yen The government also announced a dramatic 20-fold hike in the application fee, which is now 20,000 yen, or about $1,260. — Brittany Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026 But at a production budget of 2 billion yen, the family film was still a money loser in theaters. — J. Kim Murphy, IndieWire, 21 Oct. 2026 RadicalMedia is testing these waters as more advertisers demonstrate a yen to create their own content. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026 Patients can receive priority treatment for internal medicine and other specialties by paying 500 yen in addition to the consultation fee. — Masayuki Oi Japan News, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for yen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yen
  1. craving
  2. desire
  3. thirst
  4. longing
  5. urge
  6. appetite
  7. hunger
Noun
  • Ladybird Taco started with a breakfast craving, a homemade tortilla and a chance encounter that changed everything.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • And, later, a midnight snack of lobster rolls, hot dogs, and pizzas certainly quashed any late-night cravings.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of craving
Noun
  • The plan emerged from the House speaker’s desire to limit state spending and pad the state’s reserves.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Motivated by a desire to preserve this rarefied world, and to learn more about the country that her parents had fled, Hélène enrolled at Sciences Po and became an expert on the region.
    — Madeleine Wulfahrt, New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of desire
Noun
  • Bushby had a thirst for adventure, but his mission only came into focus when his father, Keith, sent him a birthday card in the mid-90s.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Getting into spoilers, Matt’s escalating thirst for vengeance comes to a head at a nightclub owned by the mob boss who sliced up his face in the first place.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of thirst
Noun
  • But across this wolf may cry, her breathy delivery becomes so uniform that longing, frustration, and romantic desperation frequently sound indistinguishable.
    — Precious Fondren, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026
  • A lot of people have so much longing for that era too — things seemed so simple then.
    — Katie Bain, Billboard, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of longing
Noun
  • This winter gives us a second chance at that childlike urge to make a statement.
    — Loren Savini, Allure, 6 Nov. 2026
  • But is that because dementia has robbed Leslie of the ability to modulate her urges?
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of urge
Noun
  • Data centers have an enormous appetite for electricity, which adds to their impact.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Congress could try to clarify the debate through legislation, but the political appetite for that is hard to predict.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of appetite
Noun
  • But a burning rage and hunger for vengeance awakens in the flames.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The pause offered brief relief in a city facing hunger, disease and another harsh winter after years of war and damaged infrastructure.
    — Darlene Superville, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of hunger

Phrases Containing yen

Browse Nearby Words

yelps
yen
yen (for)
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Yen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yen. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on yen

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about yen

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of valorous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All