yep

UK: jep | US: jep

Definition

  1. adv. informal variant of "yes"; an affirmative response

Structure

No data yet.

Etymology

"Yep" emerged in 19th-century American English as a colloquial variant of "yes," likely imitating the abrupt, percussive sound of casual affirmation. Its spelling reflects phonetic simplification, aligning with similar informal affirmations like "nope" (for "no"). The word belongs to a category of expressive, monosyllabic interjections shaped by oral speech patterns rather than morphemic construction.

Examples

  1. "Yep, I’ll be there by noon," she replied.

  2. "Did you finish the report?" — "Yep, just emailed it."

  3. He gave a quick "yep" without looking up from his phone.

  4. "Yep, that’s exactly what happened," the witness confirmed.

  5. "Are you coming?" — "Yep, wouldn’t miss it!"