exclamation

exclamation — noun

1. a word, phrase, or short sound that someone says or shouts without planning, usu

1.nounB1
Definition

a word, phrase, or short sound that someone says or shouts without planning, usually because they feel a sudden strong emotion such as surprise, fear, pain, happiness, or excitement

Example

Aylin let out an excited exclamation and clapped her hands when she saw the cake.

collocation: let out an exclamation

A sudden exclamation from the back of the classroom made the teacher turn around.

passive: from the back of [place]

Common collocations
  • let out an exclamation
  • give an exclamation
  • utter an exclamation
  • exclamation of surprise/pain/joy/delight
  • sudden exclamation
  • sharp exclamation
  • loud exclamation
Synonyms
  • cry

    suggests a louder, more emotional sound, often involving tears

  • shout

    emphasises high volume rather than sudden emotion; can be planned

  • outcry

    a louder, more public reaction, usually by a group of people

  • interjection

    a grammatical term for a word like 'Oh!' or 'Wow!'; more technical and less emotional in tone

Grammar Patterns

often followed by 'of' + emotion noun

Usage Note

Commonly paired with the preposition 'of' followed by a noun that names the emotion (of surprise, of pain, of joy). Typical verbs include 'let out', 'give', and 'utter'. The phrase 'exclamation mark' (BrE) or 'exclamation point' (AmE) refers to the punctuation symbol (!) and is a separate compound noun.

Common Mistakes

He made an exclamation when he saw the spider.
He let out an exclamation when he saw the spider.
The verb 'make' is not idiomatic with 'exclamation'; use 'let out', 'give', or 'utter' instead.

2. a loud statement or strong comment showing disagreement, annoyance, or disapprov

2.nounB2
Definition

a loud statement or strong comment showing disagreement, annoyance, or disapproval, often made by a group of people in a public situation

Example

The crowd raised angry exclamations of protest when the referee ignored the foul.

pattern: exclamations of [protest]

Selim let out an exclamation of disapproval when his colleague interrupted the presentation.

collocation: exclamation of disapproval

Common collocations
  • exclamation of protest/complaint/disapproval/anger
  • raise exclamations
  • angry exclamation
  • loud exclamation
Synonyms
  • outcry

    a stronger, more public reaction, often from many people at once

  • protest

    a more deliberate and organised expression of disagreement, not necessarily emotional

  • complaint

    less loud; can be a private expression of dissatisfaction

Antonyms
  • applause

    a positive expression of approval, the opposite of a protest exclamation

Grammar Patterns

often followed by 'of' + protest noun

Usage Note

Frequently appears in plural form when referring to multiple voices reacting together. Common in formal or journalistic descriptions of public meetings, political events, and workplace disputes. For a single person's strong disagreement, 'outcry' or 'protest' (as a noun) are more natural alternatives.

Common Mistakes

There were exclamations about the unfair rule.
There were exclamations of protest about the unfair rule.
When showing what people are complaining about, use 'exclamation of [type]' rather than 'exclamation about [topic]'.

Word family

  • exclaim
    verbB1
  • exclamatory
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

An exclamation is a short, unplanned sound or word triggered by a sudden emotion — surprise, pain, or delight ('Oh!', 'Ow!', 'Wow!'). A cry is louder and often involves an emotional release, sometimes with tears ('a cry of relief'). A shout is deliberately loud and aims to be heard over distance; it does not require sudden emotion ('a shout from the crowd'). An outcry is a strong public reaction, usually from many people at once ('public outcry over the decision'), and is closer to sense 2 of exclamation in meaning. An interjection is the grammatical category for words like 'Oh!' and 'Hey!' — it names the part of speech rather than describing the emotional act itself. For everyday use: if someone stubs their toe, they let out an exclamation of pain, not a shout — the word needs to be short, sudden, and unplanned.

exclamation ↗cry ↗shout ↗outcryinterjection

Common collocations

Phrases

  • let out an exclamation
  • give an exclamation
  • utter an exclamation
  • raise exclamations
  • hear an exclamation

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'exclamation' entered English from French in the late 14th century, originally in the sense of 'a calling out'. It comes from Latin 'exclamatio', which was built from the prefix 'ex-' (meaning 'out') plus 'clamare' (meaning 'to shout or cry out'). The related verb 'exclaim' appeared around the same time, and both words have kept their core sense of a sudden, emotional outburst of speech.