yacht

yacht — noun

1. A type of boat that uses the wind blowing against its sails to move across water

1.nounB1
Definition

A type of boat that uses the wind blowing against its sails to move across water. People use sailing yachts for sports races or for relaxed trips on the ocean or a lake.

Example

Liang's grandfather built a small sailing yacht in their backyard during the 1980s.

sailing yacht — a yacht with sails

Christopher races his yacht every July in the regatta off the coast of Rhode Island.

race a yacht in a regatta

Common collocations
  • sailing yacht
  • race a yacht
  • steer a yacht
  • wooden yacht
  • yacht club
Synonyms
  • sailboat

    more general term; 'sailboat' is common in American English, while 'sailing yacht' suggests a larger or more elegant vessel

  • racer

    informal term for a racing yacht only; does not cover cruising yachts

  • dinghy

    a much smaller, open sailing boat, usually without a cabin

Grammar Patterns

a + sailing yacht

a + yacht + for racing/cruising

Usage Note

In everyday speech, 'yacht' alone can refer to either a sailing yacht or a motor yacht. For clarity, specify 'sailing yacht' when talking about the wind-powered vessel.

Common Mistakes

I bought a yacht' (type unclear).
I bought a sailing yacht.
specify the type when the difference matters.

2. A large, expensive boat that is powered by an engine rather than by sails. Motor

2.nounB1
Definition

A large, expensive boat that is powered by an engine rather than by sails. Motor yachts are designed for comfortable and luxurious travel, with bedrooms, a kitchen, and often extra facilities such as a swimming pool.

Example

The billionaire's yacht has a swimming pool, a helipad, and a cinema room.

luxury features on a motor yacht

Padma watched the huge white yacht glide into the harbour at sunset.

Common collocations
  • motor yacht
  • luxury yacht
  • private yacht
  • yacht charter
  • yacht harbour
  • yacht owner
Synonyms
  • superyacht

    an extremely large and luxurious yacht, usually over 30 metres long

  • cruiser

    a motor yacht designed for long-distance cruising rather than speed

  • cabin cruiser

    a smaller motor boat with sleeping space, less luxurious than a yacht

Grammar Patterns

a + luxury yacht

a + private yacht

on a + yacht

yacht — verb

Word family

  • yachting
    nounB2
  • yachtsman
    nounC1
  • yachtswoman
    nounC1
  • yachtie
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

'Boat' is the most general word for any small-to-medium watercraft and is used in everyday speech ('a fishing boat', 'a rowing boat'). 'Ship' refers to a much larger vessel designed for deep-sea travel, carrying cargo or passengers ('a cargo ship', 'a cruise ship'). 'Vessel' is a formal, catch-all term covering both boats and ships, common in legal or technical writing ('a commercial vessel'). 'Yacht' sits between 'boat' and 'ship' — it is smaller than a ship but implies luxury and leisure rather than transport or work. For example, someone might say 'My uncle keeps his boat at the marina' (any craft), but 'The billionaire arrived on his yacht' (luxury, leisure). A cruise ship carries thousands of passengers; a private yacht carries the owner and a few guests.

yacht ↗boat ↗ship ↗vessel ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • yacht club
  • yacht race
  • yacht charter
  • yacht basin
  • yacht broker

Prepositions

  • on a yacht
  • by yacht
  • aboard a yacht

Etymology

DutchEnglish

The word 'yacht' entered English in the 1500s from early Dutch 'jacht', short for 'jachtschip' (literally 'hunting ship'). The Dutch used fast, lightweight sailing vessels for chasing pirates and smugglers along the coast. When English royalty adopted these vessels for leisure in the 1600s, the meaning shifted from 'hunting' to 'pleasure sailing', and the modern association with luxury travel developed over the following centuries.