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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.
Synonyms
Examples of yen in a Sentence
Kantaro Komiya, Reuters, 11 Oct. 2024
Since the film’s release on September 13 in Japan, Living in Two Worlds has grossed more than 90.3M yen (approximately $615,000), with Gaga Corporation representing the film.
—Sara Merican, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2024
The premier will also announce plans to increase Japan’s average minimum wage to 1,500 yen ($10.22) by 2030, from the current 1,055 yen, local media reported.
—Afp, Fortune Asia, 3 Oct. 2024
The Japanese government has approved a small business innovation grant worth 4.63 billion yen ($32 million) to Interstellar Technologies, Payload reports.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for yen 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'yen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near yen
Cite this Entry
“Yen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yen. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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