noun
exclamation
ehksk-luh-MAYSHN
noun
1
A sudden loud cry, often expressing surprise, pain, or another strong emotion.
"An exclamation of pain escaped him as he stubbed his toe."
2
The punctuation mark (!) used to show emphasis or strong feeling; also called an exclamation mark or point.
"She ended the text with three exclamation marks to show how thrilled she was."
How to Use Exclamation
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a sudden outburst of emotion in speech, or the ! punctuation mark itself.
UK vs US
British English usually calls "!" an "exclamation mark"; American English often says "exclamation point."
Common pairings
exclamation mark
exclamation point
point of exclamation
Word Forms
exclamations plural
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An _____ of pain escaped him as he stubbed his toe.
Etymology
From Latin exclamatio, from exclamare, "to cry out."