Did you know?
Although yen suggests no more than a strong desire these days (as in "a yen for a beach vacation"), at one time someone with a yen was in deep trouble: the first meaning of yen was an intense craving for opium. The word comes from Cantonese yīn-yáhn, a combination of yīn, meaning "opium," and yáhn, "craving." In English, the Chinese syllables were translated as yen-yen.
Examples of yen in a Sentence
Noun (2)
I have a strange yen to take the day off from work
Verb
what car lover doesn't yen for a new car at the start of every model year
Recent Examples on the Web
Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
People needing dollars, euros, yen or yuan must offer more pesos to get them.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
Japan’s jump is due, in part, to its strong yen performance against the dollar in 2025.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
Alongside bonds, gold, the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc — all typically regarded as safe haven assets in times of uncertainty or volatility — moved higher.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yen
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Risk-sensitive currencies like the Australian and New Zealand dollars climbed against the greenback in early trading, outperforming major peers, while havens including the Swiss franc and Japanese yen edged lower.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
People needing dollars, euros, yen or yuan must offer more pesos to get them.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
Japan’s jump is due, in part, to its strong yen performance against the dollar in 2025.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
Alongside bonds, gold, the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc — all typically regarded as safe haven assets in times of uncertainty or volatility — moved higher.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yen
Cite this Entry
“Yen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yen. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share