Verb
We saw people yelling for help.
I heard someone yelling my name.
The crowd was yelling wildly. Noun
the crowd gave a yell of approval
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Verb
Elsewhere, constituents have yelled at Democratic members at town halls, pleading with them to be more forceful in speaking out against Trump.—Riley Beggin, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025 During one of their exchanges, approximately two hours into walking, Haas abruptly got up from her desk and yelled in the student’s face, using swear words, the affidavit said.—Kate Linderman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
So if some is a scream or a yell, all the facial expressions become hardened.—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2025 This led Jeff Bezos to openly ask who the next James Bond should be, and far and away there was an answer shouted with a deafening yell: Henry Cavill.—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for yell
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English yellen, going back to Old English giellan, gyllan, going back to Germanic *gellan- (whence also Old High German kellen, gellen "to make a shrill sound," Old Norse gjalla "to scream"), perhaps a back-formation from *gullōn-, iterative derivative of *galan- "to sing, cry" — more at nightingale
Noun
Middle English yel, yelle, derivative of yellen "to yell entry 1"
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