yenta

noun

yen·​ta ˈyen-tə How to pronounce yenta (audio)
: one that meddles

Examples of yenta in a Sentence

the couple's loud quarrel had the building's yentas yapping for a week
Recent Examples on the Web Abzug is the pushy yenta of the Senate, a pragmatist willing to make concessions to secure male allies. Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2020 This Tinder-esque development allows users to create separate profiles to pursue romantic connections, with Facebook acting as an algorithmic yenta. Steven Levy, WIRED, 1 May 2018 Meanwhile, amidst adapting to their new status, Mrs. Jha overcomes her Gurgaon disorientation long enough to play yenta for her closest Mayur Palli friend, a too-young widow, and Mr. Chopra’s older brother. Terry Hong, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 June 2017 Listening to her must have given him a thrill: Here was one very big-time yenta whispering advice and encouragement into the wide-open ear of a less important one. Richard Sandomir, SI.com, 21 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'yenta.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Yiddish yente, from the name Yente

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of yenta was in 1923

Dictionary Entries Near yenta

Cite this Entry

“Yenta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yenta. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!