yes

[ yes ]

/ yɛs /

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See synonyms for: yes / yeses / yessed / yesses on Thesaurus.com

adverb

(used to express affirmation or assent or to mark the addition of something emphasizing and amplifying a previous statement): Do you want that? Yes, I do.

(used to express an emphatic contradiction of a previously negative statement or command): Don't do that! Oh, yes I will!

(used, usually interrogatively, to express hesitation, uncertainty, curiosity, etc.): “Yes?” he said as he opened the door. That was a marvelous show! Yes?

(used to express polite or minimal interest or attention.)

noun, plural yes·es.

an affirmative reply.

verb (used with object), yessed, yes·sing.

to give an affirmative reply to; give assent or approval to.

interjection

(used as a strong expression of joy, pleasure, or approval.)

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Origin of yes

before 900; Middle English yes, yis, Old English gēse (adv. and noun), probably equivalent to gēa yea + sī be it (present subjunctive singular of bēon to be)

Words nearby yes

Yerkes, Yerkes Observatory, Yerkish, Yersin, Yerwa-Maiduguri, yes, yes and no, ye'se, Yesenin, yeshiva, Yeşil Irmak

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use yes in a sentence

In retrospect, the answer is yes, but at the time it must have been less evident.
Does Anyone Really Know What Socialism Is? (Ep. 408 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|September 17, 2020|Freakonomics
On Monday, Microsoft reported back after two years to say the data center has been retrieved and yes, it is practical.
Microsoft hails success of its undersea data center experiment—and says it could have implications on dry land, too|David Meyer|September 15, 2020|Fortune
So, I mean, I’d say yes, but I’m trying to think of some major American institutions that aren’t.
Why Can’t Schools Get What the N.F.L. Has? (Ep. 431)|Stephen J. Dubner|September 10, 2020|Freakonomics
Their data analysis suggests the answer to that question is yes.
What it takes for a city to jump into the knowledge economy|Karen Ho|September 9, 2020|Quartz

We are asking the City Council to vote no on any new franchise agreement with an investor-owned utility — and with that decision, to say yes to a greater power service and greater power generally for the people of San Diego.
The Franchise Agreement Ending Offers San Diego a Chance for a Fresh Start|Amanda Moser and Shauna McKenna|September 8, 2020|Voice of San Diego
And yes, someone has already called Spencer a “Small Fry,” har har.
Freaking Out About Age Gaps in Gay Relationships Is Homophobic|Samantha Allen|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Yes, we do typically do better than Europe (and Canada, too, which is frequently awful on this score).
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But yes, I pictured a James Bond-type just sauntering over to her.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And yes, our values include tolerance of those who wish to make fun of religion.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And that may well be what is happening in the Barnett Shale region around, yes, Dallas and Irving.
26 Earthquakes Later, Fracking’s Smoking Gun Is in Texas|James Joiner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Such throats are trying, are they not?In case one catches cold; Ah, yes!
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
"Yes, Alessandro," she answered faintly, the gusts sweeping her voice like a distant echo past him.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
They used to believe in witchcraft, and they burned millions—yes, millions—of innocent women as witches.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
"Yes, as there seems no possibility of making any more mistakes on our way, you are free," replied the gravest of the two.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
“Yes; that would be indispensible,” said the baron, whose eyes were sweeping the room from corner to corner, fiercely and swiftly.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

British Dictionary definitions for yes

yes

/ (jɛs) /

sentence substitute

used to express acknowledgment, affirmation, consent, agreement, or approval or to answer when one is addressed

used, often with interrogative intonation, to signal someone to speak or keep speaking, enter a room, or do something

noun

an answer or vote of yes

(often plural) a person who votes in the affirmative

Compare no 1

Word Origin for yes

Old English gēse, from iā sīe may it be; see yea

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012