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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. adv. It is so; as you say or ask. Used to express affirmation, agreement, positive confirmation, or consent.
  2. n. An affirmative or consenting reply.
  3. n. An affirmative vote or voter.
  4. v. To give an affirmative reply to.
  5. interj. Used to express great satisfaction, approval, or happiness.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. A word which expresses affirmation or consent: opposed to no. It is also used, like yea, to enforce by repetition or addition something which precedes.
  2. [For distinction between yes and yea, no and nay, see yea.]

Wiktionary

  1. adv. A word used to show agreement or acceptance.
  2. adv. A word used to indicate disagreement or dissent in reply to a negative statement.
  3. interj. Used to express pleasure, joy, or great excitement.
  4. n. An affirmative expression; an answer that shows agreement or acceptance.
  5. n. A vote of support or in favor/favour of something.
  6. v. To agree with, to affirm.
  7. v. To attempt to flatter someone by habitually agreeing.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. adv. Ay; yea; -- a word which expresses affirmation or consent; -- opposed to no.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. an affirmative

Etymologies

  1. Middle English, from Old English gēse, so be it! : probably gēa, so; see i- in Indo-European roots + sīe, may it be so; see es- in Indo-European roots.

Examples

  • “Hi Ray,,Eric and I were just discussing EBooks the other day and although the technology is very exciting, there is something about a book, especially one that smells,,yes, yes, Eric and I smell our books.”

    Are Ebooks Dead? at Ray Fowler .org

  • “_No_," if as to Taprobane in connexion with Ceylon we say both "_Yes_" and "_No_," -- not the less we come back with a reiterated "_Yes, yes, yes_," upon Ceylon as the crest and eagle's plume of the Indies, as the priceless pearl, the ruby without a flaw, and (once again we say it) as the Pandora of oriental islands.”

    Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine — Volume 54, No. 337, November, 1843

  • “Of course I said yes -- _yes_, it would be entirely proper and perfectly splendid, though they might have forgotten to put anything of the sort into books of etiquette.”

    Secret History Revealed By Lady Peggy O'Malley

  • “Salvation Army, I needn't be a martyr any longer, but should be saved at once, I would have screamed "Yes -- yes -- _yes_!”

    The Chauffeur and the Chaperon

  • “Yes, yes, _yes_!" came the response from two score eager voices.”

    The Torch Bearer A Camp Fire Girls' Story

  • “Why, yes -- uneasily one answers, _yes_; but still the case records”

    Theological Essays and Other Papers — Volume 1

  • “So anyway, Brooklyn was really nice, once I get back to s’pore im going to see if I can dload those pieces… oh yes, and the musical was performed by just 5 pple… yes…”

    yanxious Diary Entry

  • “Rolf,' I said, 'if you could say yes and no, you would be able to talk to us; now, look here! when you want to say _yes_, give us your paw _twice_, and if _no_, then give it _three_ times,' and I at once put this suggestion to an easy test, for I asked him if he would like to be spanked -- and he returned a decided _no_!”

    Lola or, The Thought and Speech of Animals

  • “Incredibly, you can utter the word yes virtually anywhere—from Timbuktu to a multinational space station orbiting beyond the stratosphere—and be understood.”

    Simon & Schuster: The English Is Coming!

  • “She puffed out the word yes as if she were blowing up a balloon.”

    Simon & Schuster: Sea Escape

Show 10 more examples...

Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘yes’.

Comments

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  • gangerh There's something about the word 'Yes' It just works wonders. When you speak to customers use it a lot. It's equally important to avoid the word 'no.'

    '15 words that will make you money' Jul 23, 2009

  • oroboros "God says yes to me". May 21, 2008

  • skipvia Submission, happiness, resignation, acquiescence, discovery... Dec 19, 2007

‘yes’ has been looked up 3002 times, loved by 2 people, added to 52 lists, commented on 3 times, and has a Scrabble score of 6.