Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
up the yin-yang

up the yin-yang

1 9.9
In very large amounts
  • idiom
  • NSFW
: en abundancia
  • She had invitations to events up the yin-yang, ensuring her weekends were always busy.

Examples

  • At the party, there were decorations and snacks up the yin-yang, making it a festive atmosphere.

  • There were also messages up the yin-yang.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Knockdown power up the yin-yang.

    Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996)

  • The shelves were stocked with toys up the yin-yang for the holiday season.

Synonyms

to overflowing with
vsup the yin-yang
22 2.9

Full of a lot of something, often too much

is more of an informal phrase for great abundance rather than literal fullness
to overflowing
vsup the yin-yang
5 4.2

So full that nothing more can fit

is a figurative informal phrase meaning plentiful rather than literal overcapacity

Antonyms

limited
907 2.5

Available only in small amounts or to a few people

scarce
89 4.8

Not enough of something for people who need it

How Abundant

up the yin-yang
  • NSFW
1 9.9
abundant
76 3.0
moderately
44 2.8
little
143 1.0

Surface Forms

up the yin-yang positive

Morphology

up + the + yin-yang

The expression is colloquial/slang and uses 'yin-yang' as a cultural symbol rather than a quantifiable noun, so a learner who knows 'up' and 'yin-yang' would not reliably infer 'in great abundance'. The meaning is idiomatic and construction-specific (similar to other informal intensifiers like 'up the wazoo'), making it non-compositional and unpredictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.

Etymology

The idiom up the yin-yang may come from the picture of the yin-yang, a small circle with two parts, and the image of stuffing something up into that tiny space. That strong image explains why the phrase means 'a lot' or 'in great excess'.