yin
1 Americannoun
adjective
noun
determiner
Etymology
Origin of yin
First recorded in 1890–95
Explanation
Yin is the feminine, negative principle in Chinese philosophy. It’s associated with Earth and passivity. Have you ever heard someone talk about balancing their yin and yang? Those are two contrasting aspects of Chinese philosophy. While yang is male, yin is female. Yin and yang both exist in everyone, which is why balancing them is considered important. Besides being associated with femaleness, yin also involves Earth, darkness, passiveness, and cold. Yin and yang are usually discussed together. The symbol of yin and yang is black and white, representing how the two principles complement each other.
Vocabulary lists containing yin
The Joy Luck Club
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Chinese History - Introductory
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Chinese History - Middle School and High School
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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.
She described the two disparate beats as a way of staying balanced, her yin and yang.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026
Being supportive and demanding are a yin and yang—children need both from their parents to succeed.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025
The source said the deputy should be the "yin to the yang" of No 10.
From BBC • Oct. 11, 2025
"We see the yin and yang of human existence in the ancient Maya," Lentz said.
From Science Daily • Apr. 26, 2024
On the blank leaf glued to the inner back cover I drew the double curve within the circle, and blacked the yin half of the symbol, then pushed it back to my companion.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
