yip
n.n. a short, high sound that a dog makes when it is excited or happy. It is a less common word than 'bark' or 'whine'.
n. a short, high-pitched vocalisation made by a dog, typically expressing excitement or pleasure.
The dog gave a happy yip when it saw its owner.
As soon as the front door opened, the puppy let out a loud yip of joy.
The sound of a single yip echoed through the quiet valley, signaling the arrival of the shepherd's herd.
Possibly from dialectal yip (“to cheep like a bird”), from Middle English ȝyppe, probably imitative.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated May 20, 2026