yelp
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to give a quick, sharp, shrill cry, as a dog or fox.
-
to call or cry out sharply.
The boy yelped in pain when the horse stepped on his foot.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of yelp
before 900; (v.) Middle English yelpen, Old English gielpan to boast; cognate with Low German galpen to croak; (noun) Middle English: boasting, Old English gielp, derivative of the v.
Explanation
A yelp is a loud cry of pain, like what you’d hear after you step on a dog’s tail by accident. It was an accident, right? The root of yelp is the Old English word gielp, which means “boast.” Clearly the meaning has changed over time, since yelping is nothing to boast about, as it usually involves pain of some kind. The word works as a noun and a verb, so you could say “I can hear a dog yelping,” or “The dog’s yelps kept me up all night.” You could also pet your dog a lot, which will help with the yelps.
Vocabulary lists containing yelp
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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.
“The biggest complaint,” she said of consumer comments on Google and Yelp, was that hospice staff didn’t show up as much as expected.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026
On Yelp, U.S.-based searches for mahjong clubs rose by 4,467% from September 2024 to August 2025 compared to the previous 12 months.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Starbucks is assessing email feedback from customers and using technology to comb through Yelp and Google reviews.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026
The Wize Guy Entertainment website was taken down after a slew of negative reviews were left by furious parents on the business’ Yelp page.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2025
But Yelp says it’s a Best Date Restaurant, so hopefully Ben will be into it.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
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.
