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Synonyms

have a yen for

Idioms  

  1. Crave or desire, as in I have a yen for a thick juicy steak. The yen in this expression comes from the Chinese yan, meaning “a craving” (probably for opium). The term was first recorded in English in 1906.

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.

Sure, if you have a yen for a throwback action movie.

From The Guardian • Sep. 21, 2016

He has a point, in that even some of Freakonomics’ critics, such as Gelman and Fung in the American Scientist, tend to have a yen for popularising themselves.

From The Guardian • May 15, 2015

Is this to be BBC Radio Cornwall, by some margin the most listened-to radio station in the county with listeners who have a yen for current affairs.

From The Guardian • Jul. 8, 2010

It is no wonder that the Japanese have a yen for the deregulated Euromarket.

From Time Magazine Archive

Brukes Houston Soon, I fear, it will be more than just a touch of whimsy when I say, "I have a yen for the dollar."

From Time Magazine Archive

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.