Meaning & use
yelled
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“yelled” is a form of “yell”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
Called out in a very loud voice, because of anger, excitement, fear or the need to be heard.
Grammar: No object: he yelled. Or with words or a person: he yelled a warning; yelled at her.
Patterns
- yell at someone
- yell something to someone
- yell for help
She yelled across the street to get her friend's attention.
The coach yelled instructions from the side of the field.
He yelled for help when the boat began to sink.
verbintransitiveinformal
Spoke angrily to someone in a raised voice.
Grammar: Takes at when the target is a person: she yelled at the driver.
Patterns
- yell at someone
My neighbor yelled at the children for kicking the ball into his garden.
Nobody likes it when the boss yelled at staff in the open office.
I'm sorry I yelled at you; I was tired.
Word forms
| base form | yell |
|---|---|
| third person singular | yells |
| past tense | yelled |
| past participle | yelled |
| -ing form | yelling |
Common combinations
- yelled at
- The teacher never yelled at the students.
- yelled for help
- The hikers yelled for help but nobody heard them.
- yelled out
- Someone yelled out the answer before I could speak.
- yelled in surprise
- He yelled in surprise when the door slammed.
- yelled back
- When she shouted, he yelled back.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shouted
- Shouted is the neutral word for speaking loudly, while yelled often adds a sharper, more emotional edge.
- screamed
- Screamed is higher and more piercing, usually from fear or pain, whereas yelled can be lower and angry.
- bellowed
- Bellowed describes a deep, booming voice and sounds more forceful than yelled.
- hollered
- Hollered is informal and mostly American, and often means calling across a distance.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: yelled or yelp?
yelled vs yelp
A yelp is a short, sharp cry, especially from a dog or from sudden pain, while yelled covers longer, louder calls.
Practice
My brother ______ at me for borrowing his bike without asking.
Choose one answer.
Yelled at means spoke angrily in a loud voice; whispered is the opposite, and wondered and confessed do not take at in this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “yelled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.