yell
Americanverb (used without object)
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to cry out or speak with a strong, loud, clear sound; shout.
He always yells when he is angry.
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to scream with pain, fright, etc.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a cry uttered by yelling.
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a cheer or shout of fixed words or syllables, as one adopted by a school or college to encourage a team.
verb
noun
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a loud piercing inarticulate cry, as of pain, anger, or fear
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a rhythmic cry of words or syllables, used in cheering in unison
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have yelledperfect
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has yelledperfect 3rd person singular
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are yellingprogressive
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has been yellingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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yellingparticiple
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is yellingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am yellingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been yellingperfect progressive
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yellssingular 3rd person
Past
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had yelledperfect
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yelledsimple
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yelledparticiple
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were yellingprogressive plural
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had been yellingperfect progressive
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was yellingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of yell
First recorded before 1000; (for the verb) Middle English yellen, Old English gellan, giellan; cognate with German gellen to resound, Dutch gillen; akin to Old English galan “to sing” ( see nightingale); noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
To yell is to call or cry out loudly. You might yell across a loud cafeteria to get your friend's attention, or yell at your sister for borrowing your favorite sweater. Use the word yell as a verb or noun to describe the noise someone makes when they holler or shout. You can yell with enthusiasm, the way a crowd at a sporting event does, or in anger, like an irate driver yelling out the car window. A yell can express surprise, fury, or delight — but it's always loud. The Old English root is galan, "to sing."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Billy Idol, whose hits include White Wedding and Rebel Yell, is also to be inducted, after having been nominated once before.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
The deluxe edition of "Rebel Yell" features a host of bonus tracks, including “Best Way Out of Here” and “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore.”
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2024
In high school, I joined Rebel Yell, an a cappella group named after the Billy Idol song.
From New York Times • Jan. 8, 2024
Archibald Yell Boulevard is being renamed Nelson Hackett Boulevard, the newspaper reported, an especially symbolic action given the role that Yell, who served as Arkansas governor at the time, held in securing Hackett’s extradition.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 17, 2023
“Get over that hill and you’ll see a big farmhouse down in the valley. Run and don’t look back. Yell for help. Don’t stop until you reach the door.”
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
