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yell

v. · n.
US //ˈjɛɫ// UK //jˈɛl// yell
  1. 1 to scold (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    to speak to someone angrily because they did something wrong.

    to rebuke or scold someone in a loud, aggressive manner. Often used with the preposition 'at'.

    Example

    My boss yelled at me for being ten minutes late to the meeting.

    Example

    She hated it when her parents yelled at her in front of her friends, finding the public reprimand deeply humiliating.

  2. 2 a loud shout (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a loud shout or cry.

    a sudden, loud vocalisation, often expressing a specific emotion or signal.

    Example

    A loud yell came from the garden when he saw the spider.

    Example

    The sudden yell from the back of the auditorium interrupted the speaker's closing remarks and startled the entire audience.

Etymology 1

From Middle English ȝellen, yellen, from Old English ġiellan, from Proto-Germanic *gellaną. Cognate with Saterland Frisian gälje (“to yell”), Dutch gillen (“to yell”), German Low German gellen (“to yell”), German gellen (“to yell”).

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Scots yeld (“ceasing to give milk”).

Idioms1 entry

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