What does yawped mean?
Yawped is the past tense and past participle of the verb yaw. Its most familiar meaning is to cry out with a long, loud, high-pitched voice, often because of pain, fear, surprise, or distress. This use is vivid and expressive: a person or animal that yawps is not merely making an ordinary sound but producing a conspicuous cry that demands attention. Yawped can also describe a ship, aircraft, vehicle, or object turning sharply away from its intended course or direction, although this sense is chiefly encountered in nautical and technical writing. The word is especially useful when the quality of a cry matters, since it conveys both volume and a high-pitched or strained character. In ordinary conversation, verbs such as yelled, screamed, or howled may be more neutral, but yawped provides a more vivid description of the sound. It should not be confused with yawned, which describes opening the mouth widely, usually because of sleepiness or boredom.
verbYawped is the past tense and past participle of yaw. It can mean cried out with a long, loud, high-pitched voice or, in nautical and directional use, turned sharply away from a course or direction.
- To cry out with a long, loud, high-pitched voice, especially in pain, fear, or distress.
- To turn or veer sharply from a course or direction, especially as a ship or vehicle.
"The injured hound yawped as the veterinarian approached."
"The frightened child yawped when the thunder struck."
"The vessel yawped sharply, its bow swinging away from the intended course."
The key to yawped is its final sound: it rhymes with stopped, not yawned.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of yawped
Yawped is the past tense and past participle of yaw, a verb with a long history in English. Its crying sense developed through Middle English usage and ultimately belongs to a family of Germanic words associated with gaping, yawning, or crying aloud. The nautical meaning of yaw, referring to a turn away from a course, is a distinct historical development that became established in maritime usage.
Related word forms
How yawped is actually used
In its crying sense, yawped is especially vivid and commonly occurs in narrative or descriptive writing; it implies a more high-pitched and prolonged sound than many general alternatives. Its directional sense is chiefly associated with nautical, aviation, and technical contexts.
Easily confused with yawped
Yawped means to cry out with a loud, high-pitched voice, whereas yawned means to open the mouth widely, usually from sleepiness or boredom.
Yawped suggests a sustained, loud cry, while yapped usually describes a series of short, sharp sounds made by a dog.