A complete list of verbs that start with Y in English. You may not realize it, but you’re actually using verbs in every sentence that you ever speak or write because you cannot construct a full sentence without at least one verb. Verbs help us describe the things that we are doing, have done, or are planning to do. The more verbs you know, the better your sentences will be!
Verbs that Start with Y
What Are Verbs Starting with Y?
Verbs that start with Y are words used to describe actions taken, beginning with the letter Y. In the English language, it’s quite common to see the letter Y as a suffix at the end of a word, typically an adjective or a noun. Adding “-y” to the end of a word changes its meaning to “having the quality of”, so the word becomes descriptive.
Having Y at the start of a word can also be descriptive, like with Y verbs. These verbs help us describe our actions in a sentence. Recognizing more Y verbs will allow you to use them in conversation just as often as you would use words that end in Y. Interestingly, Y verbs are some of the shortest verbs too, so they shouldn’t be difficult to learn.
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List of Verbs that Start with Y
Like the other letters towards the end of the alphabet, such as X and Z, Y isn’t a letter that we often expect to see at the start of a word. However, there are far more than we realize, especially since some of these Y verbs are more often used as nouns.
Check out this list of verbs that start with Y below:
- Yip
- Yell
- Yap
- Yawn
- Yowl
- Yarm
- Yearn
- Yack
- Yank
- Yandy
- Yelm
- Yeuk
- Yoik
- Yealm
- Yuk
- Youthify
- Yar
- Yak
- Yot
- Yen
- Yakka
- Yiddishize
- Yeasay
- York
- Yammer
- Yuck
- Youtube
- Yomp
- Yelp
- Yarn
- Yarl
- Yankee
- Yield
- Yoke
- Yead
- Yabber
- Yote
- Yacht
- Yux
- Yoink
- Yesk
- Yo-Yo
- Yeast
- Yellow
- Yoohoo
- Yard
- Yawl
- Yeehaw
- Yaup
- Yaw
- Yodel
- Yelloch
- Yock
- Yark
- Yuppify
- Yawp
- Yerk
- Yatter
- Youl
For an extra challenge, here are some harder, less common Y verbs to learn:
- Yump
- Yoo-hoo
- Yesk
- Yoink
- Yabber
Related: 200+ Common Action Verbs List in English with Pictures
Verbs that Start with Y with Examples
| Verbs | Examples |
|---|---|
| Yip | The dog started to yip at the mailman. |
| Yell | I had to yell to get my friend’s attention. |
| Yap | The small dog would yap at everything. |
| Yawn | He couldn’t help but yawn during the lecture. |
| Yowl | The cat would yowl whenever she was hungry. |
| Yarm | The knitter would yarm every day. |
| Yearn | I yearn for the day when we can travel again. |
| Yack | He loved to yack about his travels. |
| Yank | She yanked the door open. |
| Yandy | She would yandy around the house all day. |
| Yelm | He would yelm at the top of his lungs. |
| Yeuk | The thought of eating bugs made him yeuk. |
| Yoik | The singer would yoik traditional songs. |
| Yealm | The sailor would yealm when the waves got rough. |
| Yuk | The smell of the garbage made him yuk. |
| Youthify | The company wanted to youthify its brand. |
| Yar | The boat would yar in rough waters. |
| Yak | He would yak about his problems all day. |
| Yot | He yot his way through the dense forest. |
| Yen | She yenned for her home country. |
| Yakka | He worked as a yakka in the mine. |
| Yiddishize | He would yiddishize his English by adding Yiddish words. |
| Yeasay | She would always yeasay to her boss. |
| Yammer | The baby would yammer all night. |
| Yuck | The taste of the medicine made him yuck. |
| Youtube | He would youtube his travels. |
| Yomp | The soldiers had to yomp for miles. |
| Yelp | The dog would yelp whenever someone rang the doorbell. |
| Yarn | She would yarn stories about her childhood. |
| Yarl | The viking would yarl before going into battle. |
| Yield | The crop would yield a lot of corn. |
| Yoke | The oxen were yoked together. |
| Yead | He would yead his way through the maze. |
| Yabber | She would yabber on the phone for hours. |
| Yote | He yote the ball to his teammate. |
| Yux | He loved to yux his friends. |
| Yoink | He yoinked the last cookie from the jar. |
| Yesk | He would yesk his way out of trouble. |
| Yo-Yo | He would yo-yo up and down the street. |
| Yeast | I need to yeast the dough before baking the bread. |
| Yellow | The leaves in the autumn yellow and fall off the trees. |
| Yoohoo | He would yoohoo to get his friend’s attention. |
| Yard | He likes to yard his garden every weekend. |
| Yawl | The boat would yawl in the storm. |
Common Verbs that Start with Y and their Meanings
If you want to introduce more Y verbs into your vocabulary, start with these common ones listed below:
- To yap– to give a shrill bark
- To yell– to shout loudly
- To yank– to tug something hard
- To yelp– a short cry of alarm or pain
- To yawn– to open your mouth widely and inhale, due to tiredness
- To yearn– a feeling of intense longing
- To yowl– a loud, wailing cry
- To yield– to give way to pressure or demands
- To yo-yo– to fluctuate
- To yodel– a form of singing/calling delivered in a rapidly changing voice, known as “yodeling’
- To yip– a short cry of delight or excitement
Verbs that Start with Y in Sentences
- She yelled at her son to stop playing video games and do his homework.
- Sarah yearned to travel the world and experience different cultures.
- The farmer’s crops yielded a bountiful harvest this year.
- The dog yelped in pain after stepping on a thorn.
- After a long day at work, John couldn’t stop yawning during the meeting.
- The school’s yearbook is a collection of memories from the past school year.
- The yielding of the suspect was a result of the police’s effective tactics.
- She yanked the door open in frustration when it wouldn’t budge.
- The yellows in the painting gave it a warm, sunny feel.
- The Swiss mountain climber yodeled as he reached the summit.
Conclusion
To conclude, it’s probably a lot easier to work verbs beginning with Y into the everyday conversation than you thought! The majority of them are short, have simple meanings, and can easily be used in place of other common verbs. For example, why not use ‘yell’ instead of shout? Or ‘yield’ instead of ‘give in’? Or ‘yowl’ instead of ‘scream’?
There are countless examples of when Y verbs can be used in sentences, so working them into your vocabulary is a great way to vary the words you commonly use and also learn something new!
Verbs that Start with Y | Image
Resources Related to Y Verbs
Last Updated on April 12, 2023