exclamation
Americannoun
-
the act of exclaiming; outcry; loud complaint or protest.
The speech was continually interrupted by rude exclamations.
- Synonyms:
- vociferation, ejaculation, cry
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an interjection.
-
Rhetoric. ecphonesis.
noun
-
an abrupt, emphatic, or excited cry or utterance; interjection; ejaculation
-
the act of exclaiming
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of exclamation
1350–1400; Middle English exclamacio ( u ) n < Latin exclāmātiōn- (stem of exclāmātiō ) a calling out, equivalent to exclāmāt ( us ) (past participle of exclāmāre; see exclaim) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
If you need a word to call other "words" like "Yay!" or "Rats!", then exclamation is your word. An exclamation is usually followed by an exclamation point. Go Figure. The shocked cry you made when your friends jumped out and yelled, "Surprise!" at your birthday party? You could call both your yelp and their "Surprise!" exclamations. The Latin word exclamare, or "cry out loud," is at the root of the noun exclamation. An exclamation doesn't need to be a literal "cry," though — it can be a surprised "Wow!" or an angry "No!" Anything you say with abrupt excitement, pain, fear, or anger is an exclamation.
Vocabulary lists containing exclamation
Sentences - Introductory
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Catching the Light, Part 1
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Part 3 Literary Terms (Unit 1)
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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.
I asked the guy wearing the exclamation point on his chest whether he thought the protests would have any impact upon Moreno.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
The rally puts an exclamation point on the stock’s turnaround this month, as the narrative around how AI would affect many software stocks seems to have reversed to positive from negative.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
It’s the show’s trademark exclamation, the involuntary squawk of the lucky person who’s just gotten something for nothing.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
“All that did was put an exclamation point on it,” Brunner said.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
In the script, the dialogue is written with some exclamation points, but Bobby has stopped playing it with bombast.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
