yell

[yel]

verb (used without object)

1. to cry out or speak with a strong, loud, clear sound; shout.

   He always yells when he is angry.

2. to scream with pain, fright, etc.

verb (used with object)

1. to utter or tell by yelling.

   to yell an order to the troops.

noun

1. a cry uttered by yelling.

2. a cheer or shout of fixed words or syllables, as one adopted by a school or college to encourage a team.

yell

/ jɛl /

verb

1. to shout, scream, cheer, or utter in a loud or piercing way

noun

1. a loud piercing inarticulate cry, as of pain, anger, or fear

2. a rhythmic cry of words or syllables, used in cheering in unison

Other Word Forms

• outyell verb (used with object)
• yeller noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of yell¹

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” ( nightingale ); noun derivative of the verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of yell¹

Old English giellan; related to Old Saxon gellon, Old High German gellan, Old Norse gjalla; see _nightingale

Example Sentences

In the background, a woman is telling an agent to wait as he yells at her to get out of the car.

From Los Angeles Times

“We played the jukebox while democracy fell,” Price sings, while the bartender yells that it’s last call and you’re still crying in your beer.

From Salon

When it looked like he’d get one last at-bat in the eighth, Schwarber yelled out a question while hitting in the underground batting cage adjacent to the dugout.

From Los Angeles Times

They bang on the glass, yell out their identification numbers and plead for help, she said.

From Los Angeles Times

Officers repeatedly yelled for Flores to drop the weapon, but a response is not audible on any of the released videos.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• hoot 
• howl 
• screech 
• shriek 
• squawk 
• squeal 
• wail 
• whoop 
• yelp