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

The Grammys were an appropriate exclamation point on an extraordinary year that has cemented the 31-year-old's reign over global music.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

She rummaged around for a second and suggested a triangle with an exclamation point in it, which would signal a bit of excitement but clear danger too.

From Slate • Dec. 26, 2025

This weekend’s storm marked the exclamation point on a week of wet weather that helped dampen fire danger and boost water supplies across the state, but also brought dangers.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2025

Hart hates that exclamation point, the show’s sincerity, its corniness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

In most cases, an exclamation point goes inside the quotation marks.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner