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Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName T. Rowe Price High Yield Fund, Inc.
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Mar. 01, 2020
T. Rowe Price High Yield Fund, Inc.  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading T. ROWE PRICE High Yield Fund Investor Class I Class Advisor Class Z Class SUMMARY
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective(s)
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock The fund seeks high current income and,
Objective, Secondary [Text Block] rr_ObjectiveSecondaryTextBlock secondarily, capital appreciation.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the fund. The fees and expenses set forth below are annualized based on the fees and expenses for the six-month period ended November 30, 2019. You may also incur brokerage commissions and other charges when buying or selling shares of the Investor Class or I Class, which are not reflected in the table.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Fees and Expenses of the Fund Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when the fund’s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund’s performance. During the most recent 6-month period ended November 30, 2019, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 17.5% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 17.50%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods, that your investment has a 5% return each year, and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example also assumes that any current expense limitation arrangement remains in place for the period noted in the table above; therefore, the figures have been adjusted to reflect fee waivers or expense reimbursements only in the periods for which the expense limitation arrangement is expected to continue. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Investments, Risks, and Performance Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock The fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets (including any borrowings for investment purposes) in a widely diversified portfolio of high yield corporate bonds, often called “junk” bonds, as well as income-producing convertible securities and preferred stocks that are rated below investment grade or not rated by any major credit rating agency but deemed to be below investment grade by T. Rowe Price. If a holding is split rated (i.e., rated investment grade by at least one rating agency and below investment grade by another rating agency), the lower rating will be used for purposes of the fund’s 80% investment policy. High yield bonds are rated below investment grade (BB and lower, or an equivalent rating), and tend to provide high income in an effort to compensate investors for their higher risk of default, which is the failure to make required interest or principal payments. High yield bond issuers include small or relatively new companies lacking the history or capital to merit investment grade status, former blue chip companies downgraded because of financial problems, companies electing to borrow heavily to finance or avoid a takeover or buyout, and firms with heavy debt loads.

While high yield corporate bonds are typically issued with a fixed interest rate, bank loans have floating interest rates that reset periodically (typically quarterly or monthly). Bank loans represent amounts borrowed by companies or other entities from banks and other lenders. In many cases, the borrowing companies have significantly more debt than equity and the loans have been issued in connection with recapitalizations, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, or refinancings. The loans held by the fund may be senior or subordinate obligations of the borrower. The fund may invest up to 15% of its total assets in bank loans.

The fund may purchase securities of any maturity and its weighted average maturity will vary with market conditions. In selecting investments, the fund relies extensively on T. Rowe Price credit research analysts. The fund intends to focus primarily on the higher-quality range (BB and B, or an equivalent rating) of the high yield market.

While most assets will typically be invested in U.S. dollar-denominated bonds, the fund may also invest in bonds of foreign issuers (including securities of issuers in emerging markets). The fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities and may invest without limitation in U.S. dollar-denominated bonds of foreign issuers. The fund may also use forward currency exchange contracts, credit default swaps, and index options in keeping with its objective(s). Forward currency exchange contracts would typically be used to protect the fund’s foreign bond holdings from adverse currency movements relative to the U.S. dollar. Credit default swaps would generally be used to protect the value of certain portfolio holdings or to manage the fund’s overall exposure to changes in credit quality. Index options would typically be used to efficiently access or adjust exposure to certain market segments and to generate additional income.

The fund may sell holdings for a variety of reasons, such as to adjust the portfolio’s average maturity, duration, or overall credit quality, to shift assets into and out of higher-yielding instruments, or to reduce its exposure to certain instruments.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock As with any fund, there is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective(s). The fund’s share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money by investing in the fund. The principal risks of investing in this fund, which may be even greater during periods of market disruption or volatility, are summarized as follows.

Junk investing Investments in bonds that are rated below investment grade, commonly referred to as junk bonds, and loans that are rated below investment grade, expose the fund to greater volatility and credit risk than investments in securities that are rated investment-grade. Issuers of junk bonds and loans are usually not as strong financially and are more likely to suffer an adverse change in financial condition that would result in the inability to meet a financial obligation. As a result, bonds and loans rated below investment grade carry a higher risk of default and should be considered speculative.

Fixed income markets Economic and other market developments can adversely affect the fixed income securities markets. At times, participants in these markets may develop concerns about the ability of certain issuers of debt instruments to make timely principal and interest payments, or they may develop concerns about the ability of financial institutions that make markets in certain debt instruments to facilitate an orderly market. Those concerns could cause increased volatility and reduced liquidity in particular securities or in the overall fixed income markets and the related derivatives markets. A lack of liquidity or other adverse credit market conditions may hamper the fund’s ability to sell the debt instruments in which it invests or to find and purchase suitable debt instruments.

Interest rates The prices of, and the income generated by, debt instruments held by the fund may be affected by changes in interest rates. A rise in interest rates typically causes the price of a fixed rate debt instrument to fall and its yield to rise. Conversely, a decline in interest rates typically causes the price of a fixed rate debt instrument to rise and the yield to fall. Generally, funds with longer weighted average maturities and durations carry greater interest rate risk. In recent years, the U.S. and many global markets have experienced historically low interest rates. Although interest rates have begun to rise and may continue doing so, interest rates may decline in response to ongoing global trade disputes, increasing the exposure of bond funds to the risks associated with declining interest rates.

Credit quality An issuer of a debt instrument could suffer an adverse change in financial condition that results in a payment default (failure to make scheduled interest or principal payments), rating downgrade, or inability to meet a financial obligation. Securities that are rated below investment grade carry greater risk of default and should be considered speculative.

Foreign investing Investments in the securities of non-U.S. issuers may be adversely affected by local, political, social, and economic conditions overseas, greater volatility, reduced liquidity, or decreases in foreign currency values relative to the U.S. dollar. The risks of investing outside the U.S. are heightened for any investments in emerging markets, which are susceptible to greater volatility than investments in developed markets.

Bank loans Investments in bank loans expose the fund to additional risks beyond those normally associated with more traditional debt instruments. The fund’s ability to receive payments in connection with the loan depends primarily on the financial condition of the borrower and whether or not a loan is secured by collateral, although there is no assurance that the collateral securing a loan will be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligation. In addition, bank loans often have contractual restrictions on resale, which can delay the sale and adversely impact the sale price. Transactions involving bank loans may have significantly longer settlement periods than more traditional investments (settlement can take longer than 7 days) and often involve borrowers whose financial condition is troubled or highly leveraged, which increases the risk that the fund may not receive its proceeds in a timely manner or that the fund may incur losses in order to pay redemption proceeds to its shareholders. In addition, loans are not registered under the federal securities laws like stocks and bonds, so investors in loans have less protection against improper practices than investors in registered securities.

Liquidity The fund may not be able to meet requests to redeem shares issued by the fund without significant dilution of the remaining shareholders’ interest in the fund. In addition, the fund may not be able to sell a holding in a timely manner at a desired price. Reduced liquidity in the bond markets can result from a number of events, such as limited trading activity, reductions in bond inventory, and rapid or unexpected changes in interest rates. Markets with lower overall liquidity could lead to greater price volatility and limit the fund’s ability to sell a holding at a suitable price.

Derivatives The use of forward currency exchange contracts, credit default swaps, and index options exposes the fund to additional volatility in comparison to investing directly in bonds and other debt instruments. These instruments may lack liquidity and be difficult to value, may involve leverage so that small changes produce disproportionate losses for the fund and, if not traded on an exchange, are subject to the risk that a counterparty to the transaction will fail to meet its obligations under the derivatives contract. The fund’s principal use of derivatives involves the risk that the value of an underlying index or security, anticipated changes in currency values, currency exchange rates, interest rates, or the creditworthiness of an issuer will not be accurately predicted, which could significantly harm the fund’s performance. Changes in regulations could significantly impact the fund’s ability to invest in specific types of derivatives, which could limit the fund’s ability to employ certain strategies that use derivatives.

Convertible securities and preferred stocks Convertible securities and preferred stocks carry credit and interest rate risk, along with other risks associated with both equity and fixed income securities, and convertible securities may be called back by the issuer prior to maturity at a price that is disadvantageous to the fund.

Active management The fund’s overall investment program and holdings selected by the fund’s investment adviser may underperform the broad markets, relevant indices, or other funds with similar objectives and investment strategies.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney The fund’s share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money by investing in the fund.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock The following performance information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The fund’s performance information represents only past performance (before and after taxes) and is not necessarily an indication of future results.

The following bar chart illustrates how much returns can differ from year to year by showing calendar year returns and the best and worst calendar quarter returns during those years for the fund’s Investor Class. Returns for other share classes vary since they have different expenses.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The following performance information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The following bar chart illustrates how much returns can differ from year to year by showing calendar year returns and the best and worst calendar quarter returns during those years for the fund’s Investor Class. Returns for other share classes vary since they have different expenses. The following table shows the average annual total returns for each class of the fund that has been in operation for at least one full calendar year, and also compares the returns with the returns of a relevant broad-based market index, as well as with the returns of one or more comparative indexes that have investment characteristics similar to those of the fund, if applicable.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress troweprice.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The fund’s performance information represents only past performance (before and after taxes) and is not necessarily an indication of future results.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading HIGH YIELD FUND Calendar Year Returns
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock
  Quarter Ended    Total Return  Quarter Ended     Total Return
Best Quarter             12/31/11             6.79%      Worst Quarter            9/30/11            -7.53%
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Average Annual Total Returns Periods ended December 31, 2019
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as a 401(k) account or an IRA.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text] rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown After-tax returns are shown only for the Investor Class and will differ for other share classes.
Performance Table Narrative rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock The following table shows the average annual total returns for each class of the fund that has been in operation for at least one full calendar year, and also compares the returns with the returns of a relevant broad-based market index, as well as with the returns of one or more comparative indexes that have investment characteristics similar to those of the fund, if applicable.

In addition, the table shows hypothetical after-tax returns to demonstrate how taxes paid by a shareholder may influence returns. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as a 401(k) account or an IRA. After-tax returns are shown only for the Investor Class and will differ for other share classes.
Performance Table Closing [Text Block] rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock Updated performance information is available through troweprice.com.
T. Rowe Price High Yield Fund, Inc. | Investor Class  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum account fee rr_MaximumAccountFee $ 20 [1]
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.59%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.12%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.71%
Fee waiver/expense reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver/expense reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.71%
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 73
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 227
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 395
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 883
2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 14.37%
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 3.20%
2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 15.21%
2013 rr_AnnualReturn2013 9.07%
2014 rr_AnnualReturn2014 2.00%
2015 rr_AnnualReturn2015 (3.23%)
2016 rr_AnnualReturn2016 14.49%
2017 rr_AnnualReturn2017 7.37%
2018 rr_AnnualReturn2018 (3.33%)
2019 rr_AnnualReturn2019 14.66%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2011
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 6.79%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2011
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (7.53%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 14.66%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 5.68%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 7.15%
Since inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Dec. 31, 1984
T. Rowe Price High Yield Fund, Inc. | I Class  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum account fee rr_MaximumAccountFee
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.59%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.01%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.60%
Fee waiver/expense reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver/expense reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.60%
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 61
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 192
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 335
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 750
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 14.78%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10
Since inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 6.56%
Inception date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Aug. 28, 2015
T. Rowe Price High Yield Fund, Inc. | Advisor Class  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum account fee rr_MaximumAccountFee
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.59%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25% [2]
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.16%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.00%
Fee waiver/expense reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver/expense reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.00%
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 102
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 318
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 552
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 1,225
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 14.38%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 5.42%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 6.88%
Since inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Mar. 31, 2000
T. Rowe Price High Yield Fund, Inc. | Z Class  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum account fee rr_MaximumAccountFee
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.59%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.01%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.60%
Fee waiver/expense reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.60%) [3]
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver/expense reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets none [3]
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 none
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 none
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 none
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 none
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10
Since inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Mar. 16, 2020
T. Rowe Price High Yield Fund, Inc. | Returns after taxes on distributions | Investor Class  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 12.10%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.12%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 4.43%
Since inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Dec. 31, 1984
T. Rowe Price High Yield Fund, Inc. | Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares | Investor Class  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 8.63%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.17%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 4.37%
Since inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Dec. 31, 1984
T. Rowe Price High Yield Fund, Inc. | Credit Suisse High Yield Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 14.00%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 6.05%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 7.37%
Since inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 6.98% [4]
Inception date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Aug. 28, 2015
T. Rowe Price High Yield Fund, Inc. | Lipper Global High Yield Funds Average  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 13.06%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 4.76%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 6.50%
Since inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 5.62% [5]
Inception date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Aug. 31, 2015
[1] Subject to certain exceptions, accounts with a balance of less than $10,000 are charged an annual $20 fee.
[2] Restated to show maximum 12b-1 fee rate of 0.25%. Actual rate for the prior fiscal year was 0.24%.
[3] T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., has contractually agreed to waive and/or bear all of the Z Class’ expenses (excluding interest; expenses related to borrowings, taxes, and brokerage; nonrecurring, extraordinary expenses; and acquired fund fees and expenses) in their entirety. T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. expects this fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement arrangement to remain in place indefinitely, and the agreement may only be amended or terminated with approval by the fund’s Board of Directors.
[4] Return since 8/28/15.
[5] Return since 8/31/15.