exclamation

noun

ex·​cla·​ma·​tion ˌek-sklə-ˈmā-shən How to pronounce exclamation (audio)
1
: a sharp or sudden utterance
2
: vehement expression of protest or complaint

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 on the Web There’s humor in the exclamation mark, but there’s something else, too. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2024 Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of Tesla and X, commented with two exclamation marks, which helped draw attention to the post. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Musk replied to Libs of TikTok’s post on X with two exclamation marks. Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 5 Jan. 2024 Trump's New Hampshire win looks like an exclamation mark on his transformation of the GOP: ANALYSIS Elaine Kozma, 73, of New London said health care issues are vitally important to her as a cancer survivor. Phil Galewitz | Kff Health News, ABC News, 24 Jan. 2024 Their work is interrupted only by sporadic exclamations at a particularly artistic or amusing letter. Kate Brady, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2023 Twenty-four hours later, Karol is calm (and dry) in a quiet Los Angeles studio, talking with her usual expressiveness and candor in sentences punctuated by crescendos, accents and exclamations and augmented by enthusiastic gesticulations. Leila Cobo, Billboard, 7 Dec. 2023 After all, the French title of Breathless is À bout de souffle — an exclamation that invoked the language of trailers. Armond White, National Review, 29 Sep. 2023 Depending on its context, the word could be a compliment or an insult, an exclamation of joy or an angry expletive. Natalia Winkelman, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exclamation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of exclamation was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near exclamation

Cite this Entry

“Exclamation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exclamation. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

exclamation

noun
ex·​cla·​ma·​tion ˌeks-klə-ˈmā-shən How to pronounce exclamation (audio)
1
: a sharp or sudden cry of strong feeling
2
: a strong expression of anger or complaint

More from Merriam-Webster on exclamation

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