interjection

American  

[in-ter-jek-shuhn] / ˌɪn tərˈdʒɛk ʃən /

noun

1. the act of interjecting.

2. something interjected, as a remark.

3. the utterance of a word or phrase expressive of emotion; the uttering of an exclamation.

4. Grammar.

   1. any member of a class of words expressing emotion, distinguished in most languages by their use in grammatical isolation, as Hey! Oh! Ouch! Ugh!

   2. any other word or expression so used, as Good grief! Indeed!

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interjection British  

/ ˌɪntəˈdʒɛkʃən /

noun

1. a word or remark expressing emotion; exclamation

2. the act of interjecting

3.  interj..  a word or phrase that is characteristically used in syntactic isolation and that usually expresses sudden emotion; expletive

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interjection Cultural  

1. A brief exclamation, often containing only one word: “Oh!” “Gee!” “Good grief!” “Ouch!”

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Usage

What does interjection mean? An interjection is a word or phrase that expresses something in a sudden or exclamatory way, especially an emotion. Yikes, uh-oh, ugh, oh boy, and ouch are common examples of interjections.In grammar, interjections are considered one of the parts of speech (types of words categorized by function, like nouns and verbs and adjectives).Interjection is the noun form of the verb interject, which most commonly means to interrupt or insert a comment. Interjection can also be used to mean the act or instance of doing so, as in Can I make an interjection?Example: There was a chorus of angry interjections when the people in the audience heard that their taxes would be going up.

Other Word Forms

• interjectional adjective
• interjectionally adverb
• interjectural adjective

Etymology

Origin of interjection

1400–50; late Middle English interjeccio ( u ) n < Latin interjectiōn- (stem of interjectiō ). See interject, -ion

Example Sentences

The libretto is mostly in vernacular English, except for choral interjections of the Buddhist “Diamond Sutra,” sung in Chinese.

From Los Angeles Times

As the German entrepreneur sat pitchside at a sold-out O2 Arena for the season-concluding Final Four event, any online negativity was drowned out by thousands of screaming children and regular interjections from an air horn.

From BBC

"Under my leadership, the Liberal Democrats would not be making polite interjections from the sidelines," he once said.

From BBC

Chase and Ibarra may, for instance, begin a dialogue as nervous chit-chat with staccato flute interjections with drummed responses that soon turn to broad expressions of wonder.

From Los Angeles Times

Barring any interjections from the weather it would be a minor miracle if this contest now stretches through until Saturday.

From BBC

Related Words

• cry
• exclamation
• expletive
• insertion
• interpolation
• interposition
• shout