interjection
noun
in·ter·jec·tion
ˌin-tər-ˈjek-shən 
1
: 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
2
a
: the act of uttering exclamations : ejaculation
b
: the act of putting in between : interposition
3
: something that is interjected or that interrupts
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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.
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 on the Web
When Murkowski finally appeared on the floor, she was quickly surrounded by Thune, Barrasso, Graham and Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), who barraged her on all sides with points and interjections.
—
Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 29 June 2025
This suggests that pain interjections may have originated from nonlinguistic vocalizations.
—Katarzyna Pisanski, Scientific American, 21 Feb. 2025
His obsessive tweeting, often in the early hours of the morning, meant that bizarre and venomous interjections into the political process could erupt at any time of day or night, that at any moment the ground might again shift beneath us.
—Rebecca Solnit
april 29, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2021
The interjection led to an awkward moment in the conversation that's since made headlines.
—Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for interjection
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 29 June 2025
This suggests that pain interjections may have originated from nonlinguistic vocalizations.
—Katarzyna Pisanski, Scientific American, 21 Feb. 2025
His obsessive tweeting, often in the early hours of the morning, meant that bizarre and venomous interjections into the political process could erupt at any time of day or night, that at any moment the ground might again shift beneath us.
—Rebecca Solnit
april 29, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2021
The interjection led to an awkward moment in the conversation that's since made headlines.
—Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for interjection
Cite this Entry
“Interjection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interjection. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
interjection
noun
in·ter·jec·tion
ˌint-ər-ˈjek-shən
1
: an interjecting of something
2
: something interjected
3
: a word or cry expressing sudden or strong feeling
interjectional
adjective
-shnəl
-shən-ᵊl
interjectionally
adverb
-shnəl-ē
-shən-ᵊl-ē
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