English Reference

Word

yip

US/ˈjɪp/

UK/jˈɪp/

Definition

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.

Examples

“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.”

Examples

simple

“The dog gave a happy yip when it saw its owner.”

contextual

“As soon as the front door opened, the puppy let out a loud yip of joy.”

complex

“The sound of a single yip echoed through the quiet valley, signaling the arrival of the shepherd's herd.”

Etymology

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.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/yip

English Reference