exclaim
Americanverb (used without object)
-
exclaims,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exclaimed,
past participle, past
-
exclaiming
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
exclaims,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exclaimed,
past participle, past
-
exclaiming
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
exclaimsimple
-
exclaimssimple
-
have exclaimedperfect
-
has exclaimedperfect
-
am exclaimingprogressive
-
are exclaimingprogressive
-
is exclaimingprogressive
-
have been exclaimingperfect progressive
-
has been exclaimingperfect progressive
Past
-
exclaimedsimple
-
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:
I hear my 5-year-old son proudly exclaim, nearly out of breath.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026
We even had a member at Valhalla exclaim, “For Emily” as he sank his final putt on that historic 18th hole.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026
Neumann notes that Johnson liked to exclaim: “Kelly is my guru. He’s the greatest lighting designer ever.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 25, 2025
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
I can already hear her exclaim, “Why in the world do they make clothes with holes in them?”
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
“It’s my very own Stanford Prison Experiment!” she exclaims, in a typically baffling attempt at lighthearted dialogue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
"I made many friends!" she exclaims, adding that a plan to get brunch together is already in the works.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
“Frank is here with us,” Dudamel exclaims about the architect, who died in December and with whom he had become close.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
"She is!" exclaims Bird, 38, breaking into a broad smile.
From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026
“Lawd, Lawd, Lawd,” that same Charlie Jones exclaims rushing over to Daisy.
From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
“I’ve seen her on TV!” exclaimed one child upon seeing Cooke, reflecting what it’s like to grow up in a swing state.
From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2026
"You mean she sings, too?" exclaimed one boy when he found out, Linda Jinnette Cooper wrote on the library's Facebook page.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
“I’m kind of embarrassed, because I’ve never actually done this before, and there’s already people here,” she exclaimed in the video.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 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
“Aren’t you finished yet?” exclaimed Aunt Chipo from the door.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
“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
That video was followed by Ukrainian footage showing a laughing soldier pointing at the burning wreckage and exclaiming: "They've hit my wooden tank!"
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2025
Cunningham can be heard in the video laughing and exclaiming, “She’s the problem!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2025
Elton had just joined them, and his wife was exclaiming,
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
