yet
yet adverb, conjunction BrE [jet] NAmE [jet]
adverb
1. used in negative sentences and questions to talk about sth that has not happened but that you expect to happen: (BrE) I haven't received a letter from him yet.
• (NAmE) I didn't receive a letter from him yet.
•‘Are you ready?’ ‘No, not yet.’
•We have yet to decide what action to take (= We have not decided what action to take).
2. (used in negative sentences)now; as soon as this
• Don't go yet.
• We don't need to start yet.
3. from now until the period of time mentioned has passed
• He'll be busy for ages yet.
• They won't arrive for at least two hours yet.
4. could, might, may, etc. do sth ~ used to say that sth could, might, etc. happen in the future, even though it seems unlikely
• We may win yet.
• (formal) She could yet surprise us all.
5. the best, longest, etc. sth ~ (done) the best, longest, etc. thing of its kind made, produced, written, etc. until now/then
•the most comprehensive study yet of his music
• It was the highest building yet constructed.
6. ~ another/more | ~ again used to emphasize an increase in number or amount or the number of times sth happens
•snow, snow and yet more snow
•yet another diet book
• Prices were cut yet again (= once more, after many other times).
7. ~ worse, more importantly, etc. used to emphasize an increase in the degree of sth (= how bad, important, etc. it is)
Syn: ↑even, Syn: ↑still
•a recent and yet more improbable theory
Word Origin:
Old English gīet(a), of unknown origin.
British/American:
already / just / yet
Already and yet are usually used with the present perfect tense, but in NAmE they can also be used with the simple past tense: ▪ I already did it. ◇ ▪ Did you eat yet?
However, this is much more common in spoken than in written English and some Americans do not consider it acceptable, even in speech. The present perfect is more common in NAmE and almost always used in BrE: ▪ I’ve already done it. ◇ ▪ Have you eaten yet?
Just is mostly used with the perfect tenses in BrE and with the simple past in NAmE: ▪ I’ve just had some bad news. (BrE) ◇ ▪ I just got some bad news. (NAmE)
Idiom: ↑as yet
conjunction
despite what has just been said
Syn: ↑nevertheless
• It's a small car, yet it's surprisingly spacious.
• He has a good job, and yet he never seems to have any money.
Word Origin:
[yet] Old English gīet(a), of unknown origin.
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