Learning / English Dictionary

YELL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

Example:

the speaker was interrupted by loud cries from the rear of the audience

Synonyms:

call; cry; outcry; shout; vociferation; yell

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("yell" is a kind of...):

utterance; vocalization (the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "yell"):

bird; boo; Bronx cheer; hiss; hoot; raspberry; razz; razzing; snort (a cry or noise made to express displeasure or contempt)

yodel (a songlike cry in which the voice fluctuates rapidly between the normal voice and falsetto)

shouting; yelling (uttering a loud inarticulate cry as of pain or excitement)

battle cry; rallying cry; war cry; war whoop (a yell intended to rally a group of soldiers in battle)

whoop (a loud hooting cry of exultation or excitement)

scream; screaming; screech; screeching; shriek; shrieking (sharp piercing cry)

noise (a loud outcry of protest or complaint)

hosanna (a cry of praise or adoration (to God))

hoot (a loud raucous cry (as of an owl))

halloo (a shout to attract attention)

clamor; clamoring; clamour; clamouring; hue and cry (loud and persistent outcry from many people)

catcall (a cry expressing disapproval)

blue murder (an extravagantly loud outcry)

bellow; bellowing; holla; holler; hollering; hollo; holloa; roar; roaring; yowl (a very loud utterance (like the sound of an animal))

Derivation:

yell (utter or declare in a very loud voice)

yell (utter a sudden loud cry)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A loud utterance of emotion (especially when inarticulate)

Example:

a yell of pain

Synonyms:

cry; yell

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("yell" is a kind of...):

utterance; vocalization (the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "yell"):

complaint ((formerly) a loud cry (or repeated cries) of pain or rage or sorrow)

Derivation:

yell (utter a sudden loud cry)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Utter or declare in a very loud voice

Example:

You don't have to yell--I can hear you just fine

Synonyms:

scream; yell

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "yell" is one way to...):

shout (utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue yell

Derivation:

yell (a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition)

yeller (someone who communicates vocally in a very loud voice)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Utter a sudden loud cry

Example:

I yelled to her from the window but she couldn't hear me

Synonyms:

call; cry; holler; hollo; scream; shout; shout out; squall; yell

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "yell" is one way to...):

emit; let loose; let out; utter (express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words))

Verb group:

call out; cry; cry out; exclaim; outcry; shout (utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy)

call (utter in a loud voice or announce)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "yell"):

hollo (cry hollo)

hurrah (shout 'hurrah!')

halloo (shout 'halloo', as when greeting someone or attracting attention)

whoop (shout, as if with joy or enthusiasm)

pipe; pipe up; shriek; shrill (utter a shrill cry)

howl; roar; ululate; wail; yaup; yawl (emit long loud cries)

screak; screech; skreak; skreigh; squawk (utter a harsh abrupt scream)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

yell (a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition)

yell (a loud utterance of emotion (especially when inarticulate))

yelling (uttering a loud inarticulate cry as of pain or excitement)

Credits

 Context examples: 

"How about the United States?" a man yelled from the audience.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

If he looks out through the glass, the boldest boy (Steerforth excepted) stops in the middle of a shout or yell, and becomes contemplative.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

To be compelled to run away before the yelling pack, every dog of which, for three years, he had thrashed and mastered, was almost more than he could endure.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

As they passed over the hill the Hammer-Heads yelled with vexation, and shot their heads high in the air, but they could not reach the Winged Monkeys, which carried Dorothy and her comrades safely over the hill and set them down in the beautiful country of the Quadlings.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

But when he had made away with these two, and was about to sit down again by his fire, out from every hole and corner came black cats and black dogs with red-hot chains, and more and more of them came until he could no longer move, and they yelled horribly, and got on his fire, pulled it to pieces, and tried to put it out.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

The rocks of the Spy-glass re-echoed it a score of times; the whole troop of marsh-birds rose again, darkening heaven, with a simultaneous whirr; and long after that death yell was still ringing in my brain, silence had re-established its empire, and only the rustle of the redescending birds and the boom of the distant surges disturbed the languor of the afternoon.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Looking back we saw only the dense screen of trees, but that long-drawn yell told us how many of our enemies lurked among them.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Smoked! Smoked, by Gad!” they yelled.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Of course, he was quite dead, and had been so from the instant that he had uttered that last yell of agony.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

With that he seized my hair in both his hands, and tugged until I yelled with the pain.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)