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.
-
a cheer or shout of fixed words or syllables, as one adopted by a school or college to encourage a team.
verb
noun
-
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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yellsimple
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yellssimple
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have yelledperfect
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has yelledperfect
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am yellingprogressive
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are yellingprogressive
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is yellingprogressive
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have been yellingperfect progressive
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has been yellingperfect progressive
Past
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yelledsimple
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had yelledperfect
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was yellingprogressive
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were yellingprogressive
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had been yellingperfect progressive
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.
A feasibility study for Shetland Islands Council proposes replacing ageing ferries with tunnels from Shetland's mainland to Yell and from Yell to Unst, describing them as "economically transformative".
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
But Idol’s incredible coming-out party as a hitmaker was a mere prelude to 1983’s "Rebel Yell," an album that sounds as fresh and arresting as it did more than 40 years ago.
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
Yell wrote a letter to the colonial governor of Canada requesting Hackett be returned.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 17, 2023
"How's that? Yell so our slow-to-anger brethren can hear you."
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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.
