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
-
are exclaimingprogressive
-
is exclaimingprogressive
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have been exclaimingperfect progressive
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has been exclaimingperfect progressive
Past
-
exclaimedsimple
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had exclaimedperfect
-
was exclaimingprogressive
-
were exclaimingprogressive
-
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.
See Examples For:
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
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
Several people jumped into the comments section on Kardashian’s post to exclaim that they had spotted their family members in the photos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2024
“Look how, beautiful!” she’d exclaim, in frustration, while all I saw was dirt.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2023
Mama was about to exclaim that she didn’t believe it, but Papa put his hand on her arm.
From "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden
"Hey, I know you!" exclaims Paul McCartney, gripping my hand as we walk into his office in central London.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
Napoleon exclaims during an extended instance of flatulence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
“The sky is the limit,” Handler exclaims with the boundless enthusiasm that is said to have won over the orchestra and the administration.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026
"The hardest thing was sculpting his hair. Holy shmoly! Oi yoi yoi!" he exclaims.
From Barron's ● Feb. 7, 2026
“Oh,” Ma exclaims, taken off guard by the gesture.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
"She slips! She slips! Coco Gauff hangs in. What an absolute rollercoaster," Cavaday exclaimed.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Lee, 31, exclaimed, and the pair, mere moments after meeting, snapped a selfie as Gonzalez, 28, presented his Korean bulgogi beef quesadilla to the camera with a grin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
"It's clear who won!" one zookeeper exclaimed excitedly.
From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 2026
Scimemi exclaimed as she leapt forward, earning a big laugh from a classroom full of colleagues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
When Willi Weisskirch’s father came home from work and read the newspaper headline, he exclaimed, “Oh my God! Now there will be a war. Hitler is the chancellor now, and that means war!”
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
When he came home with the monster catfish on Sunday, Prieto said she heard her mother-in-law’s exclaiming, “He caught a big fish,” before she laid eyes on the scaly creature.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
“You all lying!” a shop owner in Glenmora, population 1,000, recalls exclaiming when she heard agents had surrounded the former police chief’s house there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
To prove that point, Sugarman asked Spelling to send her a photo of the current state of her home, then exclaiming, “Oh, it’s not good,” when she saw the image.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 20, 2026
An animated clip of Arthur’s sister D.W. on her bike followed a week later, exclaiming, “We ride at dawn for PBS . . . Who’s riding with us?”
From Salon ● May 18, 2025
That night, while her father and stepmother and stepsisters sat together in the parlor, exclaiming over the gifts he had brought them from Seatown, Ash slipped away from them all.
From "Ash" by Malinda Lo
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.
