yammer

IPA/ˈjæmə(r)/
IPA/ˈjæmər/

yammer — verb

  • yammerpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • yammershe / she / it
  • yammeredpast simple
  • yammering-ing form

1. to talk on and on about things that don't matter, getting on other people's nerv

1.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to talk on and on about things that don't matter, getting on other people's nerves

例句

Hana yammered on about her new cat until the whole table looked bored.

yammer on about + topic

Diego was yammering so loudly on his phone that the whole bus could hear.

past continuous: was yammering

同義詞
  • jabber

    implies faster, less organised speech; less focused on the listener's annoyance

  • chatter

    lighter and more cheerful; chattering can be pleasant, yammering never is

  • babble

    suggests incoherent or childish speech; yammering is coherent but unwanted

  • prattle

    sounds more childish or trivial; an adult yammering is actively irritating

文法句型

yammer + on/about

yammer + away

用法筆記

Often followed by 'on' or 'away' to stress how long the talking goes on. The subject is nearly always a person.

常見錯誤

❌She yammered about her new job for an hour' (when she was excited, not annoying anyone).
✅She yammered on about her new job for an hour.
💡'yammer about' alone often sounds like complaining (see sense 2); add 'on' to make the non-stop talking clear.

2. to grumble or moan about something over and over, often in a high, unhappy voice

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to grumble or moan about something over and over, often in a high, unhappy voice that irritates the listener

例句

Keiko yammered about the cold food all through dinner.

yammer about + complaint topic

The players yammered at the referee after every single call.

yammer at + person (target of complaint)

同義詞
  • whine

    higher-pitched and more nasal; often used of children

  • moan

    deeper, slower, and less sharp than yammering

  • grumble

    quieter, often muttered under the breath rather than spoken out

  • carp

    more formal; implies nitpicking about small things

文法句型

yammer + about + something

yammer + at + someone

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (TALK NON-STOP): this sense is specifically about complaining, not just talking. The object of 'yammer about' here is always something the speaker is unhappy with.

常見錯誤

❌The children yammered happily about the trip.
✅The children chattered happily about the trip.
💡yammering is never happy; use it only when the talk is annoying or complaining.

3. to make high, repeated sounds of pain, fear, or sadness, like a hurt animal or a

3.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to make high, repeated sounds of pain, fear, or sadness, like a hurt animal or a frightened child

例句

The injured dog yammered softly under the porch.

of an animal in pain

Yuki's toddler yammered for his mother the moment she left the room.

yammer for + person (calling out for)

同義詞
  • whimper

    softer and quieter; suggests weakness rather than distress

  • wail

    louder and more dramatic; a wail is a single long cry, yammering is repeated

  • keen

    formal and funereal; used in ceremonial mourning, never for animals

  • howl

    louder and more wolf-like; suggests wild, uncontrolled crying

文法句型

yammer + for + someone

yammer + with + pain/sorrow

用法筆記

The oldest and least common sense of the word. More likely to appear in literary or descriptive writing than in everyday conversation. Subject can be a person, an animal, or a young child.

常見錯誤

❌The customer yammered about the broken product.' (meaning the customer complained angrily).
✅The customer yammered about the broken product.
💡this is sense 2 (complaining). Sense 3 is for wordless cries of distress, not complaints in words.