exclamation
Americannoun
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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
- exclamational adjective
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.
“All that did was put an exclamation point on it,” Brunner said.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
The 35-page ruling uses a large number of exclamation points, arguing that Congress must give approval in order for the project to resume.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
It starts with the exclamation point, right there in the title.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026
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
“What is to be done, my dear Emma?—what is to be done?” was Mr. Woodhouse’s first exclamation, and all that he could say for some time.
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
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.
