yes
gb/jˈɛs/ us/jˈɛs/
A1
English
~ 200
Senses
0 senses
interjection
A1
action
1
Used to show agreement
Used to say that you agree or accept.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'yes' in places where a simple nod or silence is more natural in English conversation.
Synonyms
okay (More casual and less emphatic than 'yes'.)
|
certainly (More formal and emphatic than 'yes'.)
Antonyms
no (Direct opposite; expresses refusal or disagreement.)
Collocations
yes please
|yes sir
|say yes
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Yes, I understand what you mean.
- 'Can I borrow your book?' 'Yes, of course.'
- Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking.
Learner examples
- Yes, I like this.
- Yes, you can come.
- Yes, it is my bag.
Noun
A2
entity
2
An affirmative answer
The word 'yes' used as an answer or decision to agree.
Usage pattern:
a yes to [something]
Synonyms
affirmative (Formal term for 'yes' used in official contexts.)
Antonyms
no (Opposite decision or answer.)
Collocations
a definite yes
|get a yes
|say a yes
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her smile was the only yes I needed.
- We finally got a yes from the committee.
- His yes changed my life.
Learner examples
- I gave a yes to the plan.
- She said a big yes.
- We need his yes to start.
Verb
informal
B2
action
3
To respond with 'yes'
To say 'yes' to show agreement or permission.
Usage pattern:
to yes [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may not recognize this as a verb form and might avoid using it in speech.
Synonyms
agree ('Agree' is broader and doesn't require literally saying 'yes'.)
Antonyms
refuse (To decline or say no instead of agreeing.)
Collocations
yes someone to death
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Don't just yes me—tell me what you really think.
- He yessed his boss all day just to stay out of trouble.
- Stop yessing her; she needs honest feedback.
Learner examples
- He yessed me many times.
- She yessed the teacher quickly.
- I will not yes him this time.
Grammar
Dictionary form
yes
IPA
GB/jˈɛs/
US/jˈɛs/
Syllables & stress
yes (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (yes)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: yes
- Plural: yeses
Word family
Expressions
say yes to
1/sˈeɪ jˈɛs tə/
fixed phrase
Agree or give permission
To agree to do something or allow it.
Examples
- She finally said yes to the proposal.
- Don't say yes to anything before reading the details.
yes and no
1/jˈɛs ˈænd nˈoʊ/
fixed phrase
Both agree and disagree
Used when your answer is partly yes and partly no.
Examples
- 'Do you like your job?' 'Yes and no—it has good parts and bad parts.'
- Yes and no, because it's more complicated than that.
yes man
1/jˈɛs mˈæn/
idiom
informal
Someone who always agrees with their boss
A person who always agrees with a leader or boss without thinking for themselves.
Examples
- He's just a yes man who never challenges the boss.
- The company is full of yes men who fear losing their jobs.