Yielding

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈjiːldɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Allowing movement or change by bending or giving way when pressure is applied ; producing a result, crop, or return ; becoming less strict or resistant in attitude or decision
2. Bending or collapsing under force without breaking ; generating or supplying something useful or profitable ; softening a firm stance or opinion in response to persuasion
3. Giving in or submitting under force or demand ; providing an output or benefit as a consequence ; showing a willingness to concede or become flexible in disputes or conflicts

Etymology: The adjective "yielding" is simply the verb "yield" with the ending "-ing" added, and its deepest roots lie in Old English, where the verb was "ġieldan," meaning to pay. That is the surprise: a word now associated with softness and surrender began as a word for handing over money owed. Old English speakers used it for paying a debt or rendering a due, and the sense of giving way under pressure grew out of the idea of handing something over. The form "yielding" came into Middle English as a present participle, with spellings like "ȝeldinge" and "yelding" appearing in the medieval period. Its meanings followed the verb: a yielding person was one who submitted, a yielding material gave way under touch, and a yielding policy bent to the demands of others. The later sense of producing a result, as in a field yielding a crop, is the same idea of giving something up, now applied to what the land or an investment hands back.

Synonyms: submissive, compliant

Antonyms: stubborn, unyielding