interjection

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

Updated on: 9 May 2018

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

The orchestra also faces technical hurdles, from the unusual tuning asked of the concertmaster and principal viola, to melodic interjections from a quartet of ocarinas that produce a sound similar to an ensemble of treble voices.

— elaine schmidt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Program change makes for an effective blend in Milwaukee Symphony performance," 2 Feb. 2018
Franz’s fate unfurls around the Weimar era’s famously down-at-the-heels Alexanderplatz, and Döblin intersperses his story with overheard conversations, weather reports, advertisements, parallel mini-narratives and interjections by the narrator.

— amanda demarco, WSJ, "‘Berlin Alexanderplatz’ Review: A Low-Life for the Ages," 23 Mar. 2018
Dinur and the orchestra moved through wailing wind solos, splashy brass lines, fascinating percussion interjections and rich string-section textures with agility and musical freedom.

— elaine schmidt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A great day for clarinetists at Milwaukee Symphony concert," 9 Mar. 2018
Several revelations in the play, which is not easy to watch, emotionally, were accompanied by vocal interjections from the audience.

— morgan greene, chicagotribune.com, "From the ashes of 'Birth of a Nation' controversy, a new playwright and 'The Light'," 21 Feb. 2018
Milagro has considerately created subtitles to accompany the production, but with rapid speech and witty interjections a many, the subtitles often lacked in pace or translation.

— OregonLive.com, "Banned in 1700s, 'Astucias' is still a relatable comedy about class and money," 12 Feb. 2018
Her simple instructions, which include using club soda and dish washing liquid, are peppered with her signature squeals and interjections.

— kelli bender, PEOPLE.com, "Oprah Is Here to Change Your Life Yet Again ... by Teaching You How to Remove Dog Poop from Carpet," 26 Jan. 2018
Violinist, soprano and discreet percussionists, with occasional orchestral interjections, fight love’s eternal combat between words and music.

— marcus overton, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Too much music? La Jolla Symphony dazzles — and nearly bewilders," 10 Dec. 2017
Our conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, was conducted via speakerphone, which allowed some interjections from her representatives.

— isaac chotiner, Slate Magazine, "The former Fox & Friends host on how to stop sexual harassment and why she can’t talk about Fox News.," 19 Oct. 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.