yacht
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
noun
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a vessel propelled by sail or power, used esp for pleasure cruising, racing, etc
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short for sand yacht ice yacht
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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yachtsimple
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yachtssimple
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have yachtedperfect
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has yachtedperfect
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are yachtingprogressive
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am yachtingprogressive
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is yachtingprogressive
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have been yachtingperfect progressive
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has been yachtingperfect progressive
Past
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yachtedsimple
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had yachtedperfect
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was yachtingprogressive
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were yachtingprogressive
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had been yachtingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of yacht
1550–60; < early Dutch jaght, short for jaghtschip hunting ship, equivalent to Dutch jacht hunt (derivative of jagen to hunt) + schip ship 1
Compare meaning
How does yacht compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A yacht is an upscale boat — often a sailboat — that is used for cruising or racing. If you're on a cargo ship, you're probably at work; if you're on a yacht, it's probably your day off. While today a yacht is usually a pleasure vessel, and associated with wealth and recreation, its origins are anything but: the word yacht comes from the early modern Dutch jaghtschip, which referred to “a fast pirate ship,” and jacht meant “hunting.” You won’t find many yachts doing any hunting today — but you might find one cruising around the bay or parked at the yacht club. Yacht can also be a verb meaning to travel in a yacht.
Vocabulary lists containing yacht
Seas The Day: Words That Shore Are Beachy
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 17–August 23, 2024
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 15–February 21, 2026
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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.
This year, Addie Bell Zackon and Brandon Zackon, founders of luxury travel advisory Jetset & Travel, have booked close to 20 sailings for clients on the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, launched in 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
Frederiksen informed the King while he was on board the Royal Yacht Dannebrog, the family's residence when they are on summer cruises or official visits overseas.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
Wealthy individuals who vacation on private boats or at luxury resorts sometimes associate cruises with rowdy crowds, said Ernesto Fara, chief executive of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026
As yachts pass the beach, they are spreading rose petals on the ocean "out of respect for the tragic loss of life", said Sam Haynes, commodore of race organiser, the Cruising Yacht Club of Sydney.
From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025
It is a Sunday night during my childhood and my father is taking me to the movies at the Detroit Yacht Club.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
