exclamation point

American  

noun

1. the sign (!) used in writing after an exclamation.

2. this mark sometimes used in writing two or more times in succession to indicate intensity of emotion, loudness, etc..

   Long live the Queen!!

3. this mark sometimes used without accompanying words in writing direct discourse to indicate a speaker's dumbfounded astonishment.

   “His wife just gave birth to quintuplets.”(!)

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exclamation point Cultural  

1. A punctuation mark (!) used after an abrupt and emphatic statement or after a command: “‘Help!’ he cried, as his boat floated toward the edge of Niagara Falls.”

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Etymology

Origin of exclamation point

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

He had circled it himself, in red, with exclamation points, because it was the last day of school for the year.

From Literature

“It’d be great if you had an exclamation point,” one of the owners says to her husband as she takes in the sign.

From Salon

In a follow-up, the AI made sure to use at least one exclamation point.

From The Wall Street Journal

In 2014, Davis and White became the first U.S. pair to win Olympic gold in ice dance, an exclamation point on their dominant era that included six consecutive national championships from 2009 to 2014.

From Los Angeles Times

But the Hurricanes’ semifinal win also puts an exclamation point on this postseason’s unmistakable message.

From The Wall Street Journal