"Yeah"

[Odessa Dawn]

​

"We are constantly *misunderstanding each other but whenever I try to ensure we are on the same page, he just waves me away with a “Yeah, yeah, yeah”. I know he either hasn’t grasped anything that I’ve been saying or hasn’t been bothered to listen."

'Yeah' is not generally a good response to someone who has tried to help you. It suggests a challenge, a non-acceptance of what has been said.

yeah adverb - definition in British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionary Online

Is it a must to avoid using such a word in replying to others?
​

 

[Tdol]

Not necessarily a must, but something to be handled with care because it can be used to be dismissive, sarcastic or scornful.

 

[SoothingDave]

A repeated "yeah" like this can be dismissive or sarcastic. If I ask you "Do you want to go have lunch?" and you respond "yeah," there is no problem with tone.

There was once a language professor lecturing his students and he pointed out that English has the double negative, which means a positive. But it doesn't have a double positive that means a negative.

A student responded, "yeah, right."