Shakespeare words: Y

yard noun

A unit of measurement equal to three feet, used especially in tailoring and for making arrows. A cloth-yard shaft was a long arrow of this length, shot from a bow.

The clothier measured out a yard of silk for the gown.

yare adjective

Ready and quick to act. Often used for a ship that's easy to steer and handles well. When Shakespeare's sailors cry "yare!" they mean move fast and stay sharp.

A yare ship cuts through the water like a dancer—responsive, nimble, alive to the helm.

yaw verb

To swerve or veer off course. Used literally of ships losing their heading, and figuratively of people or plans going astray.

The ship began to yaw in the storm.

yawn verb

To open your mouth wide in shock or amazement. Shakespeare uses it to show a moment of stunned surprise.

The ghost appears and the guards yawn in terror.

yawning adjective

Soothing and drowsy. Something that quiets you into sleep or a state of calm.

The yawning hum of the sea lulled the sailors into dreams.

yclad adjective

Dressed or clothed. Shakespeare uses it both literally (wearing clothes) and figuratively (covered or wrapped in something abstract, like sorrow or darkness).

A knight yclad in armor rode toward the castle.

ycleped verb

Named or called. An archaic past participle—you'll see it in old texts meaning someone was given a particular name or title.

yea interjection

Yes, or an emphatic agreement. Often used to strengthen a statement that came before, or to express surprise or reproof when opening a question.

Make his bold waves tremble—yea, his dread trident shake.

yea-forsooth noun

A person who speaks with excessive politeness or deference, especially someone of humble rank. The phrase 'yea, forsooth' was a mark of servile agreement.

yead adverb

An old word meaning toward you, or in your direction. You'll mostly see it in stage directions or when a character is calling someone over.

yean verb

To give birth. Used mainly of goats and sheep, but Shakespeare applies it to humans too—usually with a cutting or contemptuous edge.

She yeaned a bastard child.

year noun

Age or the passage of time, especially maturity or old age. You hear it in phrases like "a man of years" (someone old and experienced) or "coming to years" (growing up).

A king of years ruled with the weight of long experience.

yearn verb

To cause pain or distress; to trouble the heart. Often used impersonally, as in "it grieves me."

yedward noun

A familiar or affectionate way of saying Edward. Used by people close to someone—family, friends, or servants.

yellowness noun

Jealousy or envy. In Shakespeare's time, the colour yellow was thought to show a jealous mind — so calling someone yellow meant they were consumed by suspicion or possessiveness.

His yellowness grew when he saw her dance with another man.

yellows noun

A disease in horses that causes yellowing of the skin and eyes, similar to jaundice in humans. Shakespeare uses it as shorthand for a horse that is sick or unfit.

A horse with the yellows won't gallop far.

yeoman noun

A farmer who owns his own small plot of land—a solid, working-class figure in England who wasn't nobility but wasn't poor either. Yeomen made up the backbone of the army and were known for honest, reliable service.

A yeoman's son might fight alongside gentlemen in battle, though they came from different worlds.

yerk verb

To jab or thrust sharply, often with force. A quick, forceful push or strike.

He yerked his sword up under the ribs.

yest noun

Foam or froth on the surface of liquid. Shakespeare uses it for the bubbly scum on waves or fermenting beer.

The sea threw up yest and froth against the rocks.

yesty adjective

Frothy and insubstantial—full of noise and bubbles but no real depth. Shakespeare uses it to mock shallow thinking or empty speech.

A yesty argument that sounds impressive until you actually think about it.

yet adverb

Still; continuing up to this moment. Used to say that something remains true or is still happening, even if time has passed or circumstances have changed.

Will they still look after you, or have they moved on?

yield verb

To give, grant, or produce something. In Shakespeare, it often means to surrender, give way, or submit—or simply to bear or bring forth (as a plant yields fruit).

The oak yields acorns in autumn.

yielded verb

Gave up; stopped fighting or resisting. To surrender something you thought was lost.

He yielded his claim to the throne when the battle turned against him.

yielding noun

The act of giving in or surrendering. When someone stops resisting and accepts what another person wants.

Her yielding to his demands came after days of persuasion.

yoke noun

A pair of oxen harnessed together to pull a plow or cart. Shakespeare also uses it for groups of people, especially servants or soldiers bound to serve together.

A yoke of oxen pulled the heavy wagon through the field.

yoked adjective

Married or joined together. Shakespeare plays on the image of oxen yoked to a plow — a hint that marriage can feel like hard labor.

A couple yoked in marriage must learn to pull in the same direction.

yore noun

A long time ago. You see it mostly in the phrase "of yore," which means the distant past.

In days of yore, knights rode to battle on horseback.

york noun

A title of nobility; the Duke of York, a member of the royal family and a powerful political figure in the English court.

His uncle York; where I first knelt down To this king of smiles, this Bolingbroke

you'll verb (contraction)

You will; a contraction of 'you' and 'will' used to express future tense or strong intention.

You'll be gone, you scoundrel, and do as I tell you.

young adjective

Inexperienced or unskilled, especially in a particular craft or situation. Can also mean recent or newly begun.

You lack the skill for this—you're too young in it.

younger adverb

Ago; in the past. Shakespeare uses it to mean a certain span of time before now.

not yet two summers younger = not two years ago

youngling noun

A young person, especially one who is inexperienced or still learning. Shakespeare uses it with affection or mild scorn, depending on the moment.

The old warrior dismisses the youngling's boasts about courage.

youngly adverb

When you're young; in the early part of life. Shakespeare uses it to describe something done or felt at an early age.

He learned music youngly and became a master by thirty.

younker noun

A young man or boy. Shakespeare uses it with a mixture of affection and mild mockery—the kind of word an older character might use for someone still green.

You're a brave younker to challenge me to a duel.

youth noun

The quality of being new or recent. Something in its youth is still fresh and early in its life.

The kingdom was prospering in the youth of the king's reign.

youthful adjective

Young, or happening when someone is young. It carries a sense of freshness and vitality—the energy and possibility of early life.

His youthful beauty won't last forever.

yravish verb

To seize and carry off by force. In Shakespeare's time, this could mean either abducting someone or overwhelming them with emotion or sensation.

The storm seemed to ravish all reason from her mind.

yslaked adjective

Worn out or exhausted; no longer active or energetic. An old word for when someone or something has lost its spark.