Word of the Day

: February 9, 2022

yen

noun YEN

What It Means

A yen is a strong desire, urge, or craving for something.

// After dinner, the family went out for ice cream to satisfy their yen for something sweet.

// Students with a yen to travel should consider studying abroad.

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yen in Context

"During the spring, retirees come south to New Hampshire for day trips, including shopping at outlets, while in summer the visitors are families with a yen for outdoor activities." — John Koziol, The New Hampshire Union Leader, 14 Oct. 2021

Did You Know?

Although yen suggests no more than a strong desire these days (as in "a yen for a beach vacation"), at one time someone with a yen was in deep trouble: the first meaning of yen was an intense craving for opium. The word comes from Cantonese yīn-yáhn, a combination of yīn, meaning "opium," and yáhn, "craving." In English, the Chinese syllables were translated as yen-yen.