EXCLAMATION POINT Definition & Meaning

exclamation point

noun

the sign (!) used in writing after an exclamation.
this mark sometimes used in writing two or more times in succession to indicate intensity of emotion, loudness, etc.:
Long live the Queen!!
this mark sometimes used without accompanying words in writing direct discourse to indicate a speaker's dumbfounded astonishment:
“His wife just gave birth to quintuplets.”(!)

exclamation point

A punctuation mark (!) used after an abrupt and emphatic statement or after a command: “‘Help!’ he cried, as his boat floated toward the edge of Niagara Falls .”

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of exclamation point¹

First recorded in 1860–65

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Maybe it’s the way they suck at their teeth after eating microwaved fish at their desk, or just the emails that have too few exclamation points or a few too many.

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It put an exclamation point on that string of failure last year by matching a league record with 25 losses and breaking the MLS record for goals allowed with 78.

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“While this fact is an exclamation point on global warming, it is also telling us that we have much more to learn,” Serreze said.

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Mr. Auld-Thomas says, “That really puts an exclamation point behind the statement that, no, we have not found everything, and yes, there’s a lot more to be discovered.”

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“Really pleased,” Harbaugh said, raising his voice as a final exclamation point, “with a great team win. Great team effort.”

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