What does "yammer" mean?
The act or noise of yammering.
Yammer
/ˈjæm.ə/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act or noise of yammering.
- Grammar: yammer is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: babble, bark, battle cry, bawl.
- Useful contrasts: address concisely, address succinctly, answer briefly.
- Usage evidence: You can hear animals yammer in the meadows.
How to use "yammer"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "yammer" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "yammer" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "yammer" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "yammer" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "babble" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "yammer", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act or noise of yammering. uncountable
"The house is just as he had imagined it would be: rubbishy furniture, a clutter of ornaments (porcelain shepherdesses, cowbells, an ostrich-feather flywhisk), the yammer of the radio, the cheeping of birds in cages, cats everywhere underfoot."
- 2 A loud noise. uncountable
"The ungodly scream of Jap wings in the wind, and the blood-chilling snarl and yammer of their aerial machine gun and aerial cannon fire was enough to make the very ground shake and tremble."
- 3 One who yammers. uncountable
Verb
- 1 To complain peevishly. intransitive
- 2 complain whiningly wordnet
- 3 To talk loudly and persistently. intransitive
- 4 cry loudly, as of animals wordnet
- 5 To repeat on and on, usually loudly or in complaint. transitive
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To make an outcry; to clamor. intransitive, rare
"It was a ship, but a whale to the Dark Nebula’s minnow; and on its side was the Spaceship-and-Sun of the Empire. Every alarm on the ship yammered hysterically."
- 7 to repeatedly call someone's name. intransitive
Antonyms
Example
"You can hear animals yammer in the meadows."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "yammer"?
Common synonyms include: babble, bark, battle cry, bawl, beef, bellow.
How do you use "yammer" in a sentence?
You can hear animals yammer in the meadows.
How do you pronounce "yammer"?
Pronounced /ˈjæm.ə/.
Etymology
From Middle English ȝameren, ȝaumeren, yemeren, ȝomeren, from Old English ġeōmrian (“to lament”), from Proto-West Germanic *jāmarōn, from Proto-Germanic *jēmarōną (“to show misery or sadness”), from Proto-Germanic *jēmaraz (“miserable, sorrowful, sad”), from Proto-Indo-European *yem- (“to hold, match, defeat”). Reinforced by cognate Middle Dutch jammeren (modern Dutch jammeren), from the same ultimate origin. Cognate also with Scots yammer, Saterland Frisian jammerje, West Frisian jammerje, German Low German jammern, German jammern, Danish jamre, Norwegian jamre. Compare also Old Norse amra (“to howl, wail, yammer”).