yes

American  

[yes] / yɛs /

adverb

1. (used to express affirmation or assent or to mark the addition of something emphasizing and amplifying a previous statement).

   Do you want that? Yes, I do.

2. (used to express an emphatic contradiction of a previously negative statement or command).

   Don't do that! Oh, yes I will!

3. (used, usually interrogatively, to express hesitation, uncertainty, curiosity, etc.).

   “Yes?” he said as he opened the door. That was a marvelous show! Yes?

4. (used to express polite or minimal interest or attention.)

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noun

plural

yeses

1. an affirmative reply.

verb (used with object)

yessed, yessing

1. to give an affirmative reply to; give assent or approval to.

interjection

1. (used as a strong expression of joy, pleasure, or approval.)

yes British  

/ jɛs /

1. used to express acknowledgment, affirmation, consent, agreement, or approval or to answer when one is addressed

2. used, often with interrogative intonation, to signal someone to speak or keep speaking, enter a room, or do something

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noun

1. an answer or vote of yes

2. (often plural) a person who votes in the affirmative

Usage

Plural word for yes The plural form of yes is either yeses or yesses, but yeses is more widely used. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -s are also formed the same way, such as bus/buses/busses, gas/gases/gasses, and lotus/lotuses/lotusses. In some instances, particularly informally, the plural form of yes is written with an apostrophe, as in yes's. This is not considered standard, but it may be easier to understand in some contexts because many people are unfamiliar with the plural form of yes. The word yes is only pluralized when it is used as a noun rather than in its more common use as an adverb. The word yes as a noun means "an answer or vote of yes" or "a person who votes in the affirmative," as in The noes outnumbered the yeses.

Etymology

Origin of yes

First recorded before 900; Middle English yes, yis, Old English gēse (adverb and noun), probably equivalent to gēa yea + sī “be it” (present subjunctive singular of bēon “to be”; see be)

Explanation

Yes is a confirmation or an affirmative — a positive reply. When you say yes to a friend's invitation to a party, it means you'll be there. There's no more positive word in the English language: You use yes to agree, to confirm, or to answer positively. It works best of all to express uninhibited enthusiasm like when you get great news and yell it, maybe even closing your eyes in joy while you say it. Yes comes from the Old English gise, or so be it.

Example Sentences

So, yes, declining sperm counts are a concern—but there are a number of evidence-based possibilities to point to.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

When asked if that set-up could continue in Munich, Arbeloa added: "We'll see, we'll see on Wednesday. But yes, I think we saw Bellingham looking good."

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

All in all, there is a great deal to be said for indirect taxes—for sales taxes, for value-added taxes and, yes, for tariffs as well.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

The book is an elegant, vivid slice of that time period; Bertei takes you to the Mudd Club, to Tier 3, to Max’s Kansas City, and, yes, to CBGB’s.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

He loved this story, yes, but as he read, the enchantment did a curious thing.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova