exclamation

noun ex·cla·ma·tion \ ˌek-sklə-ˈmā-shən \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of exclamation

1 : a sharp or sudden utterance

2 : vehement expression of protest or complaint

See exclamation defined for English-language learners

See exclamation defined for kids

Examples of exclamation in a Sentence

Her unexpected announcement caused a few exclamations of surprise.
the good news was greeted with a chorus of joyous exclamations

Recent Examples of exclamation from the Web

But soon come the flashes of exclamation, as King stresses a word or a phrase with a quiver, a shout, or a roar.

— dagmawi woubshet, The Atlantic, "Revisiting King's Final and Most Haunting Sermon," 1 Apr. 2018
Giselle wrote in her booklet, with oversize letters and double exclamation marks.

— nancy smith, Philly.com, "'Weird' ingredients bake into creamy, crunchy, spicy, satisfying main dish," 22 Mar. 2018
But the celebrity chef's culinary contributions to New Orleans run far deeper than those pithy, made-for-TV exclamations might suggest.

— mike scott, NOLA.com, "The celebrity chef who kicked things up a notch in New Orleans," 16 Mar. 2018
Those schools listed above, the ones with exclamation marks next to their names?

— gregg doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: The ruination of college basketball starts in high school," 23 Feb. 2018
Haas shrugged off two Michigan defenders and slammed home an exclamation-point dunk.

— dakota crawford, Indianapolis Star, "Unless the Big Ten finds Isaac Haas' twin brother, Purdue can't lose," 26 Jan. 2018
The difference is the action isn’t used as a way to skirt around some lofty ploy point, but as an exclamation mark on what is being said and done.

— rick bentley, sacbee, "‘Black Panther’ makes history in many ways | The Sacramento Bee," 15 Feb. 2018
Everyone from Kristi Yamaguchi to Reese Witherspoon turned to Twitter to express their excitement using an abundance of exclamation marks and emoji.

— amanda arnold, The Cut, "What Made Mirai Nagasu’s Triple Axel So Incredible," 12 Feb. 2018
And if his Appeal was peppered plentifully with prophecy and exclamation marks, its core argument was simple and unnerving.

— kenyon gradert, Smithsonian, "The Book That Spooked the South," 8 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exclamation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of exclamation

14th century

exclamation Synonyms

Synonyms

cry, ejaculation, interjection;

Related Words

aah (also ah), ooh;

holler, hoot, howl, shout, whoop, yell, yelp, yowl;

scream, screech, shriek, squall, squeak, squeal;

EXCLAMATION Defined for English Language Learners

exclamation

noun

Definition of exclamation for English Language Learners

: a sharp or sudden cry : a word, phrase, or sound that expresses a strong emotion

EXCLAMATION Defined for Kids

exclamation

noun ex·cla·ma·tion \ ˌek-sklə-ˈmā-shən \

Definition of exclamation for Students

: a sharp or sudden cry or expression of strong feeling

Learn More about exclamation

See words that rhyme with exclamation Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for exclamation Spanish Central: Translation of exclamation Nglish: Translation of exclamation for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of exclamation for Arabic speakers

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exclamation

Definition of exclamation

Examples of exclamation in a Sentence

Recent Examples of exclamation from the Web

First Known Use of exclamation

exclamation Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

EXCLAMATION Defined for English Language Learners

exclamation

Definition of exclamation for English Language Learners

EXCLAMATION Defined for Kids

exclamation

Definition of exclamation for Students

Learn More about exclamation

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exclamation

Definition of exclamation

Examples of exclamation in a Sentence

Recent Examples of exclamation from the Web

First Known Use of exclamation

exclamation Synonyms

Synonyms

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EXCLAMATION Defined for English Language Learners

exclamation

Definition of exclamation for English Language Learners

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exclamation

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