exclaim
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
exclaimsimple
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exclaimssimple
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have exclaimedperfect
-
has exclaimedperfect
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am exclaimingprogressive
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are exclaimingprogressive
-
is exclaimingprogressive
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have been exclaimingperfect progressive
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has been exclaimingperfect progressive
Past
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exclaimedsimple
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had exclaimedperfect
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was exclaimingprogressive
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were exclaimingprogressive
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had been exclaimingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of exclaim
1560–70; earlier exclame < Latin exclāmāre to cry out. See ex- 1, claim
Explanation
The verb exclaim is from the Latin word exclamare, which means "to cry out." The English meaning is similar, to cry out, but with the added element of a strong emotion such as fear, joy, surprise. In writing, when someone exclaims something, the punctuation mark used to express this vehement outcry is usually the exclamation point: "Stop!" you exclaim when your toddler climbs precariously on a chair stacked with books. "Not in this lifetime!" you cry out when your teenager wants to borrow the new car. You will exclaim "I'm so proud!" when your child graduates college.
Vocabulary lists containing exclaim
Instead of "Said": Words for Upbeat Banter
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The Circuit
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"American Names"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His goal was to make burgers large enough to require two hands, and good enough to make the eater exclaim “What a burger.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
“They Will Kill You” feels like helping my two-year-old niece put together a fairly simple, 12-piece puzzle, and watching her exclaim with delight before asking if we can assemble it again.
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026
And it led him to loudly exclaim, before playing the sarabande from Bach’s Second Solo Cello Suite in his short solo set, “Who knew?”
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 30, 2025
Even President Donald Trump attended events in the 90s, says Evans, who once saw him sit on a golden throne at Combs's 30th birthday and exclaim: "I'm the real King of New York!"
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2025
She would exclaim how clean and well-run the coffeehouse was.
From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
