Yeahs

Part of speech: interjection

Definitions

1. Expressions of agreement, affirmation, or enthusiasm that signal understanding or approval
2. Informal exclamations often used in conversation to indicate support or concurrence with a statement
3. Casual responses that convey acceptance or excitement, typically in spoken language

Etymology: "Yeahs" is the plural of "yeah," a casual interjection of agreement, so it inherits everything about its base. "Yeah" is a colloquial spelling of "yea" or "yes," the old affirmative forms, and it is one of a pair with "nah," a casual version of "no." The plural is used to mirror the sound of repeated, drawn-out agreement, as in a rapid run of "yeahs" during a conversation. The base word itself goes back to Old English "gea," meaning "yes," which is also the source of the archaic "yea" still found in older English texts. Over time the vowel was shortened and softened into the informal form that now dominates speech, while the formal "yes" developed in parallel from the same ancestor. Note that the unrelated noun "year" is not the source; the etymology sometimes cross-referenced to it is a different word entirely.

Synonyms: yes, affirmatives, agreements, consents, approvals

Antonyms: no, disagreement, denial, refusal, negation