Meaning & use
yippy dog
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableinformaldisapproving
A small dog that barks often with a high, sharp sound.
Grammar: Countable: a yippy dog, two yippy dogs.
Patterns
- a yippy dog
- the yippy dog next door
Their yippy dog barks at every person who walks past the gate.
I couldn't sleep because a yippy dog was making noise all night.
She loves her little yippy dog even though the neighbors complain.
Word forms
| plural | yippy dogs |
|---|
Common combinations
- a yippy little dog
- A yippy little dog followed us down the street.
- bark like a yippy dog
- The puppy barked like a yippy dog whenever someone knocked.
- the yippy dog next door
- The yippy dog next door wakes me up at six every morning.
Synonyms and how they differ
- yappy dog
- Yappy is the more common spelling for this idea and sounds a little more playful; yippy is less standard.
- noisy dog
- Neutral and general; it does not suggest the high, sharp sound that yippy does.
Commonly confused: yippy dog or yappy?
yippy dog vs yappy
Yappy is the usual spelling for a dog that barks a lot. Yippy is a variant, so learners are safer using yappy.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'yippy dog' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
A yippy dog is known for barking a lot, so 'barked at every car' fits the meaning. The other options describe quiet behavior, a wild animal, or a working dog, which do not match the word's sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “yippy dog”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.