yield
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to produce or provide something naturally, like a crop, a profit, or information.
v.to produce or provide a natural, financial, or informational result. Transitive — takes a direct object.
Simple“The new apple trees should yield a lot of fruit next summer.”
In context“The research team hoped the new data set would yield significant insights into the long-term effects of the policy change.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to stop resisting and agree to do what someone else wants.
v.to cease opposition to an overwhelming force or an argument; to submit to another's will.
Simple“After hours of debate, the committee finally yielded to the pressure from the public.”
In context“The general refused to yield the fortress, despite being surrounded by enemy forces and running low on supplies.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
v.to allow other vehicles or people to go past before you do.
v.to give way to other traffic or pedestrians. Intransitive in most traffic contexts.
Simple“You must yield to pedestrians when they are crossing the street.”
In context“Drivers must yield at the roundabout to vehicles already in the circle to ensure a smooth flow of traffic.”
Synonymsgive way - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the total amount of something that is produced, such as crops or money.
n.the total quantity or amount of a product, especially agricultural or industrial, or the profit from an investment.
Simple“The farm had a high yield of wheat this year because of the good weather.”
In context“Investors were disappointed by the low dividend yield, which failed to keep pace with the rising rate of inflation.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
n.the point where a material starts to bend or break under pressure.
n.the stress level at which a material begins to deform plastically. Often used as 'yield point' or 'yield strength'.
Simple“The engineer checked the yield of the steel beam to make sure it was safe.”
In context“Exceeding the yield strength of the structural components could lead to permanent deformation and eventual failure of the entire bridge.”
- 06 C1 Advanced
v.to bend or move because of physical weight or pressure.
v.to give way under physical force or pressure without breaking.
Simple“The wooden floorboards yielded slightly under his heavy boots.”
In context“The soft earth yielded beneath the weight of the heavy machinery, leaving deep ruts in the construction site.”
Usage analysis yield · finding yield · increase yield
“With dairy cows typically starting to suffer from heat stress above 25C, many producers have already reported milk yields down by 10%-15%.”
“Since exposure to wildfire smoke early in life can cause life-long health problems, reducing exposure in the prenatal period will yield long-term benefits, Boudreaux said.”
From Middle English yielden, yelden, ȝelden (“to yield, pay”), from Old English ġieldan (“to pay”), from Proto-West Germanic geldan (“to pay”), from Proto-Germanic geldaną (“to pay”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeldʰ- (“to pay”). The noun is from Middle English ȝeld (“tax, payment”), from Old English ġield (“payment”), from Proto-West Germanic geld (“payment”), from Proto-Germanic geldą (“reward, gift, money”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeldʰ- (“to pay”). Cognates Cognate with Scots yield (“to yield”), North Frisian jilden (“to pay”), Saterland Frisian jäilde (“to be valid, matter, count, be worth”), West Frisian jilde (“to pay”), Low German gellen, Dutch gelden (“to apply, count, be valued, be regarded”), gelden (“to apply, count, be valued, be regarded”), German gelten (“to apply, count, be valued, be regarded”), Danish gælde (“to apply, count, be valued, be regarded”), Icelandic gjalda (“to pay, yield, give”), Norwegian Bokmål gjelde (“to apply, count, be valued, be regarded”), Norwegian Nynorsk gjelde, gjelda (“to apply, count, be valued, be regarded”), Swedish gälda (“to pay”), gälla (“to apply, be regarded”). The noun is cognate with West Frisian jild (“money”), Dutch geld (“money”), Low German and German Geld (“money”), Danish gæld (“debt”), Faroese and Icelandic gjald (“fee, payment”), Norn gild (“payment”), Norwegian gjeld (“debt”), and Swedish gäld (“debt”). See also geld.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.