yeah

American  

[yai] / yɛə /

adverb

Informal.

1. yes.

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yeah British  

/ jɛə /

1. an informal word for yes

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Etymology

Origin of yeah

1900–05; variant of yea or yes

Explanation

Yeah is a casual form of yes. When you’re hanging out with someone you really look up to and they ask you if you want to go to a party, play it cool by saying “Yeah, sure,” instead of “Yes! I’d love to!” You would almost never write “yeah” unless you were trying to mimic the sound of talking. If someone says, "Yeah, right," they’re not casually telling you you’re right. They’re ironically saying “Not likely.” And if someone interrupts you while you’re talking and says “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” it means, “I already know that—–get on with it!.”

Example Sentences

But I’ve never even thought about scouting, but yeah, absolutely I’d have interest in that.’”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

“If I could talk to a governor, and that conversation, two, three minutes…leads to ‘Let me show you what we can do,’ then, yeah, that’s exactly it,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

So, yeah, if I can find the middle part of that, then I'm in a good spot.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Oh yeah, they’re bringing back Erica Wheeler, who played strong minutes here several years ago.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

“Breathe, yeah? Your heart’s going a mile a minute.”

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Related Words

• voice vote