yield

yield — verb

1. to produce a result, amount, or gain as a direct outcome of effort, investment,

1.動詞及物 / 不及物C2
釋義

to produce a result, amount, or gain as a direct outcome of effort, investment, or natural growth

例句

The new irrigation system yielded a much larger rice harvest than the old one.

yield + noun phrase (crop result)

After two years of work, the research team's efforts finally yielded important results.

subject: effort/activity, object: positive result

同義詞
  • produce

    more general and neutral; works in any context

  • generate

    often used for abstract things like ideas, energy, or interest

  • return

    specifically financial; used for investments and profits

反義詞
  • consume

    uses resources rather than producing them

  • lose

    opposite direction of gain, especially in finance

文法句型

yield + noun phrase (something positive)

yield + noun phrase + from + noun phrase

用法筆記

Formal register. Common in agriculture ('yield crops'), finance ('yield profit'), and research ('yield results'). Unlike 'produce', this sense carries an implication that the result was expected or calculated.

常見錯誤

❌The experiment yielded a rare bacteria by accident.
✅The experiment produced a rare bacteria by accident.
💡'yield' is used for expected or systematic outcomes, not accidental discoveries.
❌Please yield three copies of the report by noon.
✅Please produce three copies of the report by noon.
💡'yield' sounds unnatural in everyday requests about documents.

2. to give up control, responsibility, or a position of power, especially because s

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to give up control, responsibility, or a position of power, especially because someone else forces you to

例句

The general refused to yield control of the fort to the advancing army.

yield + control + to + person/group

After years of legal battles, the company yielded its patent rights to the competitor.

同義詞
  • surrender

    stronger, often after fighting or resistance

  • concede

    admitting the other side is right; often used in arguments or competitions

  • relinquish

    more formal; letting go of something unwillingly or willingly

反義詞
  • keep

    not give up or let go of something

  • defend

    actively protect or fight for what you have

文法句型

yield + noun phrase (control/position/land/rights) + to + noun phrase (person/group)

yield + noun phrase (without object)

用法筆記

Frequently used in political, military, and legal contexts. The pattern 'yield + noun phrase + to + person' is the most common structure. In everyday conversation, 'give up' or 'surrender' are more natural alternatives.

常見錯誤

❌She yielded her seat to the elderly woman on the bus.
✅She gave up her seat to the elderly woman on the bus.
💡'yield' is too formal for everyday actions like offering a seat.
❌The team yielded the game in the final minute.
✅The team lost the game in the final minute.
💡'yield' is not used for losing sports matches; 'lose' or 'concede' are correct.

3. to bend, break, or give way because a physical force pushes, presses, or pulls t

3.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to bend, break, or give way because a physical force pushes, presses, or pulls too hard

例句

The old wooden bridge began to yield under the weight of the heavy truck.

yield + under + weight/pressure (physical)

The door finally yielded after Haruto pushed it with all his strength.

同義詞
  • give way

    phrasal verb, more common in everyday speech

  • collapse

    stronger, implies complete failure

  • buckle

    specifically about bending under pressure, often of metal or structures

反義詞
  • withstand

    resist pressure without bending or breaking

  • hold

    stay in shape under load

文法句型

yield + under + noun phrase (weight/pressure)

yield + to + noun phrase (force)

用法筆記

Subject is typically a physical object under load — a bridge, door, lock, floor, or surface. Frequently used with 'under' for the pressure source or 'to' for the force applied. Not used for living things.

常見錯誤

❌The chair yielded when I sat on it.
✅The old chair finally yielded under my weight and broke.
💡'yield' needs a clear pressure source and usually implies visible bending or sudden failure, not normal use.
❌The tree yielded in the strong wind.
✅The tree bent in the strong wind.
💡'yield' implies breaking or collapsing; 'bend' describes flexibility without failure.

4. to slow down or stop a vehicle to let another road user go first, especially whe

4.動詞不及物A2
釋義

to slow down or stop a vehicle to let another road user go first, especially when joining a main road or at a crossing

例句

Drivers must yield to pedestrians at the crosswalk before making a turn.

yield + to + pedestrian (traffic rule)

The blue car failed to yield at the junction and nearly caused a crash.

同義詞
  • give way

    British English equivalent; used on road signs in the UK, Ireland, Hong Kong

  • let pass

    general phrase, can be used for non-traffic situations too

文法句型

yield + to + noun phrase (person, vehicle, or animal on the road)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense STOP by its traffic-specific meaning. The driver does not always come to a full stop — slowing down to allow right-of-way is sufficient. In British and Irish English, 'give way' is the equivalent expression on road signs.

常見錯誤

❌You should yield to pedestrians at any point on the road.
✅You must yield to pedestrians at marked crosswalks and intersections.
💡'yield to pedestrians' is legally specific to crossings and junctions, not anywhere on the road.
❌I yielded my friend at the party.
✅I let my friend go first at the party.
💡'yield' in the traffic sense only applies to vehicles and road users, not people in social situations.

yield — noun