yarn
gb/jˈɑɹn/ us/jˈɑɹn/
B1
English
~ 10000
fonal, nagyotmondó sztori, sztorizik, nagyotmondó sztorikat mesél, beszélgetés, beszélget
NOUN
B1
1
fonal
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] buys/uses [amount] of yarn
She bought three balls of soft wool yarn to knit a scarf.
Három gombolyag puha gyapjúfonalat vett, hogy sálat kössön.
This cotton yarn is too thin for the pattern I want to use.
Ez a pamutfonal túl vékony ahhoz a mintához, amit használni szeretnék.
The cat played with a loose strand of yarn on the floor.
He organized his yarn by color in clear plastic boxes.
The sweater is made from hand-dyed alpaca yarn.
Learner examples
I need more yarn to finish this hat.
Még több fonalra van szükségem, hogy befejezzem ezt a sapkát.
She uses red yarn to make a small bag.
Piros fonalat használ, hogy egy kis táskát készítsen.
The cat is chasing the blue yarn.
He keeps his yarn in a big box.
This yarn is very soft and warm.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "yarn" with "yearn" because they sound similar, but "yarn" is a thing (fiber for knitting) and "yearn" is a verb meaning to strongly want something. Some also use "yarn" instead of "thread" in sewing contexts where "thread" would be more natural.
Meaning
thread-like fiber for knitting
Collocations
ball of yarn
|skein of yarn
|wool yarn
|cotton yarn
|yarn store
|yarn weight
Synonyms
thread (Usually thinner and used for sewing, while yarn is thicker and used for knitting or weaving.)
Antonyms
fabric (Fabric is the finished material made from yarn or thread, not the strand itself.)
Themes
crafts
|home
|fashion
|materials
|clothing
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A long piece of twisted fiber, like wool or cotton, that people use to knit or make cloth.
A long, continuous strand of twisted fibers, such as wool or cotton, used for knitting, weaving, or sewing.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] tells/spins [a] yarn about [something]
He kept us laughing all night with a yarn about his travels in South America.
Egész este nevettetett minket egy nagyotmondó sztorival a dél-amerikai útjairól.
That sounds like a bit of a yarn to me; are you sure it really happened?
Ez nekem kicsit nagyotmondó sztorinak hangzik; biztos, hogy tényleg megtörtént?
Granddad loves spinning yarns about his days in the navy.
The book is full of outback yarns told by old stockmen.
Over dinner she launched into a long yarn about how she almost met a movie star.
Learner examples
My uncle told us a long yarn about a big fish he caught.
A nagybátyám egy hosszú, nagyotmondó sztorit mesélt nekünk egy nagy halról, amit kifogott.
I think his story is just a yarn and not true.
Szerintem a története csak egy nagyotmondó sztori, és nem igaz.
Grandpa likes to tell old war yarns.
They spent the evening sharing funny yarns from their childhood.
That yarn about the ghost in the house scared the children.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "yarn" here means any story, but it usually suggests a long, chatty, or exaggerated story. It is also easy to confuse this noun meaning with the verb "yearn" because of similar spelling and sound.
Meaning
long, often exaggerated story
Collocations
spin a yarn
|tall yarn
|good yarn
|tell yarns
|an entertaining yarn
|a fishing yarn
Synonyms
tale (Neutral for a story in general; "yarn" suggests a longer, chatty, and possibly exaggerated story.)
Antonyms
fact (A fact is a piece of true information, while a yarn is often partly or mostly made up.)
Themes
communication
|stories
|entertainment
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
Definition
A long, fun story that may not be true or is made bigger and more exciting than real life.
A long, often imaginative or exaggerated story, especially one that is entertaining but may not be completely true.
VERB
C1
INFORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
[someone] yarns about [something] with [someone]
We sat around the fire yarning about the old days.
A tűz körül ültünk, és a régi időkről sztorizgattunk.
He could yarn for hours about his time in the outback.
Órákig tudott sztorizni az ausztrál vadonban töltött idejéről.
They yarned away happily while the kids played in the garden.
She likes to yarn with the neighbors on the front porch in the evenings.
The two truck drivers yarned together at the roadside café during their break.
Learner examples
They yarned about their school days for a long time.
Sokáig sztorizgattak az iskolás éveikről.
He likes to yarn with his friends after work.
Munka után szeret a barátaival sztorizgatni.
We sat in the kitchen and yarned until midnight.
Grandpa yarned about his life on the farm.
The old men yarned outside the shop every morning.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "yarn" as a verb is common everywhere, but it is more typical in Australian, New Zealand, and some British varieties of English. It is also easy to confuse it with "yearn", which means to strongly want something and is not used for storytelling.
Meaning
tell long entertaining stories
Collocations
yarn about
|yarn away
|yarn together
|sit and yarn
|yarn all night
Synonyms
reminisce (Focuses on talking about past experiences; "yarn" suggests long, possibly exaggerated storytelling.)
Antonyms
be silent (To "yarn" is to talk at length; being silent is the opposite activity.)
Themes
communication
|stories
|social
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
Definition
To talk by telling long, fun stories that may not be completely true.
To tell long, often imaginative or exaggerated stories, especially in a relaxed, informal way.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
4
beszélgetés
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone] has [a] yarn with [someone]
We stopped for a quick yarn with the farmer at the gate.
Megálltunk egy rövid beszélgetésre a gazdával a kapunál.
Come over for a cuppa and a yarn this afternoon.
Gyere át délután egy teára és egy kis beszélgetésre.
He likes to have a yarn with the locals at the pub after work.
They sat on the verandah having a long yarn as the sun went down.
I bumped into her in town and we had a good yarn about our families.
Learner examples
I had a nice yarn with my neighbor today.
Ma jót beszélgettem a szomszédommal.
They met in the café for a yarn after class.
Óra után találkoztak a kávézóban egy kis beszélgetésre.
We sat under the tree and had a long yarn.
He enjoys a yarn with his friends every Friday night.
She called her grandfather for a quick yarn on the phone.
Common mistake:
Learners may assume this meaning is used everywhere in English, but it is mostly in Australian, New Zealand, and some British dialects. In most other varieties, "chat" or "talk" is more natural.
Meaning
informal chat or conversation
Collocations
have a yarn
|a good yarn
|a quick yarn
|sit for a yarn
|yarn with the neighbors
Synonyms
chat (Very close in meaning; "yarn" sounds more informal and is mainly used in Australian and New Zealand English.)
Antonyms
silence (A yarn is active friendly talk; silence is the absence of talk.)
Themes
social
|communication
|relationships
|daily_life
Definition
A friendly, informal talk with someone, often for some time.
(Chiefly Australian, New Zealand, and some British English) An informal, friendly conversation, often relaxed and unhurried.
VERB
C1
INFORMAL
5
beszélget
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone] yarns with [someone] about [something]
We yarned with the neighbours over the fence for half an hour.
Fél órán át beszélgettünk a szomszédokkal a kerítésen át.
They love to yarn on the phone late into the night.
Szeretnek késő éjszakáig telefonon beszélgetni.
I ended up yarning with the taxi driver all the way home.
She was yarning with her colleagues in the kitchen when the boss walked in.
The old men yarned on the bench outside the shop every morning.
Learner examples
We yarned with our friends after the game.
A meccs után beszélgettünk a barátainkkal.
He likes to yarn with his uncle on Sundays.
Vasárnaponként szeret beszélgetni a nagybátyjával.
They sat in the park and yarned for a long time.
I yarned with my cousin about our holiday plans.
She yarns with her neighbor every evening.
Common mistake:
Learners might overuse this verb in contexts where standard "talk" or "chat" would be more natural, especially in American English, where this use is rare. It should mainly be used if you are speaking or writing in an Australian, New Zealand, or certain British context.
Meaning
chat or talk informally
Collocations
yarn with friends
|yarn for hours
|yarn over a beer
|sit and yarn
|yarn on the phone
Synonyms
chat (Very similar in meaning; "yarn" is more regionally marked and can suggest longer, more relaxed talk.)
Antonyms
ignore (To yarn is to engage in friendly talk; to ignore someone is to deliberately not talk to them.)
Themes
social
|communication
|relationships
|daily_life
Definition
To talk in a friendly and relaxed way with someone for some time.
(Chiefly Australian, New Zealand, and some British English) To talk in a friendly, informal way, often for a fairly long time.
Grammar
Dictionary form
yarn
IPA
GB/jˈɑɹn/
US/jˈɑɹn/
Syllables & stress
yarn (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (yarn)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: yarn
- Plural: yarn, yarns
Verb
- Base: yarn
- 3rd Person Singular: yarns
- Present Participle: yarning
- Past: yarned
Word family
Expressions
a good yarn
1/ə ɡˈʊd jˈɑɹn/
fixed phrase
informal
an entertaining, often tall story
An entertaining story, often long and maybe not completely true.
Examples
- It's not great literature, but it's a good yarn.
- He can always be relied on for a good yarn after dinner.
have a yarn
1/hˈæv ə jˈɑɹn/
idiom
informal
have an informal chat
To talk in a friendly and informal way with someone, often for some time.
Examples
- Drop by this afternoon and we'll have a yarn over a cup of tea.
- I bumped into Tom in town and we had a quick yarn about the kids.
- They like to sit outside the shop and have a yarn with anyone who walks past.
swap yarns
1/swˈɑp jˈɑɹnz/
idiom
informal
exchange long entertaining stories
To tell each other long, often funny or exciting stories, usually from your own life.
Examples
- After the reunion dinner, we sat around swapping yarns about our school days.
- The truck drivers swapped yarns at the roadside diner while they drank their coffee.
yarn bombing
1/jˈɑɹn bˈɑmɪŋ/
fixed phrase
informal
street art using knitted yarn
The act of putting colorful knitted or crocheted pieces of yarn on things in public places, like trees or statues, as a kind of street art.
Examples
- The trees outside the library were covered in bright yarn bombing overnight.
- A local art group organized a yarn bombing of the town square benches.
spin a yarn
1/spˈɪn ə jˈɑɹn/
idiom
informal
tell a long invented story
To tell a long, detailed story, often with things that are not really true.
Examples
- He loves to sit in the bar and spin a yarn about his days at sea.
- My grandfather loves to sit by the fire and spin a yarn about his days at sea.
- Grandpa is spinning one of his famous yarns again.
- I think he's just spinning a yarn to impress you; that can't all be true.
- They spent the evening spinning yarns about their travel adventures.