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yielding
/ˈjiːldɪŋ/
compliant or submissive
The manager praised the team for their yielding attitude during the negotiations.
The manager praised the team for being compliant and cooperative during the negotiations.
formal
compliant or submissive in nature
Her yielding personality made her easy to work with.
Her submissive and cooperative nature made her easy to work with.
Often describes people or behaviors that adapt easily to others' demands.
Engineering
technical
producing or providing a natural, agricultural, or industrial product
This farmland is yielding a record harvest this year.
This farmland is producing a record harvest this year.
Commonly used in farming, mining, or manufacturing contexts.
Engineering
technical
giving way under pressure
The metal bar is yielding under the heavy load.
The metal bar is bending or deforming under the heavy load.
Refers to structural failure or deformation in materials.
Collocations
yielding to pressuregiving in under pressureyielding personalitysubmissive or compliant naturehigh-yielding cropa crop that produces a large amount
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Avoid overusing 'yielding' for people
While 'yielding' can describe a person's compliant nature, it may sound overly formal or even negative in casual conversation. Use 'flexible' or 'cooperative' instead.
Gold Rule
Match the context to the sense
Use 'yielding' for people only in formal or technical contexts. For casual descriptions, prefer 'flexible' or 'agreeable'.
Word Origin
From Old English 'gieldan' (to pay, repay, or yield), related to Old Norse 'gjalda' and Old High German 'geltan'. The adjective sense emerged in the 16th century, while the technical sense (producing) dates to the 19th century.
Usage Notes
As an adjective, 'yielding' is often used in formal or technical contexts. Avoid using it to describe people in informal settings, as it can sound overly formal or archaic.
Word Breakdown
yield
to give way or produce
root-ing
present participle/adjective suffix
suffixEnglish Dictionary