interjection

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noun in·ter·jec·tion \ ˌin-tər-ˈjek-shən \

Definition of interjection

1 a :the act of uttering exclamations :ejaculation

b :the act of putting in between :interposition

2 :an ejaculatory utterance usually lacking grammatical connection: such as

a :a word or phrase used in exclamation (such as Heavens! Dear me!)

b :a cry or inarticulate utterance (such as Alas! ouch! phooey! ugh!) expressing an emotion

3 :something that is interjected or that interrupts

See interjection defined for English-language learners

See interjection defined for kids

Examples of interjection in a Sentence

interjections such as “oh,” “alas,” and “wow”
a chorus of angry interjections greeted the announcement that our flight would be delayed

Recent Examples of interjection from the Web

After several instances of interjections from the crowd, the board adjourned the meeting, eventually opting to allow individuals to ask questions themselves.

— kate magill, Laurel Leader, "Savage Mill development debate continues," 30 Aug. 2017
Videos that simply show a group of people watching the same video, with laughs or emotional interjections throughout, may not fall under fair use.

— valentina palladino, Ars Technica, "Reaction video deemed fair use in YouTuber court battle," 24 Aug. 2017
Bassist Lundy turned in an extended, deeply satisfying solo, his long lines punctuated by pianist Williams’ carefully placed interjections.

— howard reich, chicagotribune.com, "Review: Fiery music-making from trumpeter Wallace Roney at Jazz Showcase," 28 July 2017
The sassy post continues the dictionary's streak of tweets timed to serve as sharp interjections in the cultural or political debate of the day.

— claire zillman, Fortune, "Merriam-Webster Dictionary Trolls Sexist ‘Doctor Who’ Fans with Another Sassy Tweet," 18 July 2017
McConnell will plunge ahead with a repeal-and-replace effort, despite the president’s interjection.

— dan balz, Washington Post, "Trump proves to be an unreliable ally to Republicans in the health-care fight," 1 July 2017
But Vernon owns his part, offering chilling interjections that culminate in a wispy, hymn-sounding solo around the 2:50 mark.

— tatiana cirisano, Billboard, "Bon Iver's Justin Vernon as In-Demand Hip-Hop Collaborator: 9 Essential Tracks With Kanye, Vince Staples & More," 26 June 2017
Mostly gone were the overly complicated sci-fi interjections and just-obscure-enough pop culture references Oswalt is known for.

— zach freeman, chicagotribune.com, "Review: Laughing and crying in a devastating set from Patton Oswalt," 3 June 2017
In its seventh season, David Feherty hasn’t exhausted guests, material or personal interjections that lead to an authentic, humorous and often heart-warming agenda.

— tom hoffarth, Orange County Register, "Sunday media: Pardon this interruption, but the DVR sports menu needs managing," 26 May 2017

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

What is an interjection?

An interjection is a word or phrase that is grammatically independent from the words around it, and mainly expresses feeling rather than meaning.

Oh, what a beautiful house!

Uh-oh, this looks bad.

Well, it's time to say good night.

Actually, um, it's not my dog.

Shoot. I thought I'd fixed that.

I can't believe I lost the key! Ugh!

Interjections are common in speech and are much more common in electronic messages than in other types of writing.